March 21, 2010
Box Score
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Princeton used a two-run single with two outs in the ninth to hand the Navy baseball team a 4-3 loss in the four-game series finale on Sunday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Midshipmen dropped to 15-5 on the year, while the Tigers earned a series split to improve their mark to 4-10.
With the Mids leading 3-2 going into the ninth, reliever Chris Murray (Sr./Navarre, Fla.) got the first-two outs sandwiched around a walk. He then induced a grounder to third that Nick Driscoll (Jr./Riverview, Fla.) threw above the diving reach of second baseman Matthew Curley (Sr./Boston, Mass.) into right field, which put the tying run on third base. During the next at bat with a full count, catcher Steven Soares (Sr./Coral Springs, Fla.) could not come up with a foul popup on a diving try near the brick wall before John Mishu drew a walk. With the bases loaded, Brandon Englert hit a fly ball that rightfielder Michael Speciale (Sr./Pearland, Texas) made a diving attempt down the line, had the ball hit his glove but pop out due to the force of the landing that allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to score.
Navy would not go quietly in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs and nobody on, Curley singled to right and moved to second on a catcher's interference during Alex Azor's (So./Miami, Fla.) at bat. With the tying run in scoring position, Speciale smacked a sinking liner to center that Mishu was able to come up with for the final out of the game.
The Midshipmen had looked poised to record its third comeback win of the weekend as it erased a 2-0 deficit with a three-run seventh. Driscoll delivered a one-out single, stole second and advanced to third on a Dylan Wheeler (Fr./Novato, Calif.) single to right. Mike Guadagnini (Jr./Virginia Beach, Va.) came to the plate and hit a grounder to first that drew a throw home, as Driscoll was going on contact. The throw struck Guadagnini in the helmet on his way to first and the ball caromed into right field, which at the time allowed Driscoll to score and Wheeler advance to third. However, Guadagnini was called for runner's interference and both runners had to return to their prior bases. After a Wheeler stolen base, Curley smacked a game-tying, two-run single to left and would plate the go-ahead run on a Speciale single up the middle.
Princeton reliever Kevin Link was able to get the final out of the seventh and held the Mids off the board over the final-two innings with four strikeouts to earn his first win of the year.
"Their reliever (Kevin Link) came in and was able to shut us down," stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "We weren't able to extend our lead. It was a good game and a good four-game series. Today, they got one more hit in a clutch spot than we did."
Murray was tagged for the loss, as he yielded three walks and a hit with his two unearned runs in 1.2 innings of work. Navy starter Wes Olson (Jr./Indianapolis, Ind.) was solid on Sunday afternoon, as allowed just five hits and two runs over 7.1 innings with no walks and four strikeouts.
"Wes (Olson) gave us another quality start," said Kostacopoulos. "We've got to keep stacking up those types of performances. He did a good job today."
Speciale finished the afternoon 4-for-5 at the plate with a RBI. Curley and Driscoll each had a pair of base knocks for the Midshipmen, who outhit the Tigers, 10-6.
The Midshipmen will return to action on Wednesday, when they head to Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda, Md., to take on Georgetown. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m.
DIAMOND NOTES:
- For the weekend, Navy scored 14 of its 20 runs during the final-three innings of the game.
- The Midshipmen concluded their 13-game homestand with a 9-4 record ... Navy's 14 games played at home this spring are nine more than the rest of the Patriot League has combined to play.
- Wes Olson delivered his third quality start (6.0+ IP, 3- ER) of the spring on Sunday ... it was Navy's fifth quality start over the last-eight games ... Olson's 7.1 innings of work were the most since his 8.0-inning outing against Lafayette on March 28, 2009.
- Michael Speciale's effort at the plate on Sunday marked the third time this season and the second time in five games that he recorded a four-hit performance.
- Navy's defense has committed zero or one error in eight of the last-10 games.
- Nearly 1,000 fans made their way out to Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium for the final-two days of this weekend's four-game series.
- The Midshipmen are 51-41 all-time against Princeton, a former foe in the Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League (EIBL).
- As a team this weekend, the Mids hit .308 (41-for-133) with seven extra-base hits and five stolen bases ... on the mound, Navy posted a 3.18 ERA over 34.0 innings with 12 walks and 24 strikeouts.
