March 6, 2010

Box Score | Photo Gallery

The Midshipmen improved their mark to 9-1 on the year, matching their best start since the 1981 season. The Blue Devils fell to 0-2 in their season-opening action.

Led by Azor's performance at the third spot in the lineup, Navy totaled 29 base knocks on the afternoon, 11 of which went for extra bases. The Midshipmen have scored in double figures in each of the last-four games for the first time since the 2000 campaign.

"We're certainly on a roll scoring some runs," stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "We just hope to keep it going as long as possible."

In the nightcap, Azor went 4-for-5 with a double, five RBIs and two runs scored. The four hits and five RBIs were both career highs. He also robbed Central Connecticut State of a pair of extra-base hits with catches while crashing into the fence.

Jeff Bland (Jr./Basking Ridge, N.J.) finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, while Jonathan Berkowitz (Sr./Parkland, Fla.) also smacked a pair of doubles and drove in three. Dylan Wheeler (Fr./Novato, Calif.) went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs in his first-career start at the leadoff spot. Matthew Curley (Sr./Boston, Mass.) and Mike Hoosier (Sr./Pomona, Calif.) each contributed a pair of base knocks during Navy's 19-hit performance.

"Alex had some tremendous at bats, especially in the second game," said Kostacopoulos. "He also made two super catches to take hits away. Having him in the outfield is a big positive change for this team. He's a very good centerfielder and has proven it over the first-10 games this year.

"Jonathan also did a nice job at the plate. We really got contributions from almost everybody in the lineup. When playing an offensive team like Central Connecticut State, you better be prepared to score some runs. They are a really good hitting team.

Navy struck for two runs in the first, courtesy of a two-run double by Berkowitz, before Central Connecticut State knotted the game in the second. However, the Mids scored 11 of the next-12 runs between the bottom halves of the second and fifth innings to break the game open.

Wheeler had a two-run single in the third to retake the lead before Azor smacked a RBI-double to center. Azor would deliver a pair of two-run singles in the fourth and fifth innings, the latter of which put the Mids out in front, 13-3.

Starter Zach Sipe (So./Huffman, Texas) improved to 2-0 on the year, as he allowed four runs on six hits over six innings with three walks and four strikeouts. Reliever Tyler Mapes (Fr./Plano, Texas) earned a three-inning save for the Mids, the first of his career.

"Zach had a little trouble establishing his rhythm early on," said Kostacopoulos. "Overall, it was a solid performance, but he had a couple of spots in the game where he lost command of the strikezone."

In the opener, Mike Guadagnini (Jr./Virginia Beach, Va.) drove in a career-best six runs to rally the Mids to victory. He finished 2-for-3 with a triple and a home run out of the leadoff spot.

Navy jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings. Guadagnini led off the first with a home run that hooked around the right-field foul pole. One inning later with the bases loaded, Guadagnini lifted a sacrifice fly to center where not only did Berkowitz score from third, but Wheeler hustled around from second to beat the throw home.

However, Central Connecticut State answered with a five-run third to take the lead. The Mids bounced back with a RBI-run single to right-center off the bat of Nick Driscoll (Jr./Riverview, Fla.) that tied the game at five.

The Blue Devils countered with a three-run fifth, but the Midshipmen delivered a six-run blow in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead for good. With the score knotted at eight with the bases loaded and two outs, Guadagnini cleared the bases with a triple down the left-field line.

"Mike came up with the big hits in the first game, which was good to see," stated Kostacopoulos. "His go-ahead triple in the fifth was huge for us, as well as his leadoff home run."

In addition to Guadagnini, Azor and Berkowitz each had two hits and two runs scored, while Steven Soares (Sr./Coral Springs, Fla.) drove in a pair and crossed home twice.

Ben Nelson (Fr./Winter Springs, Fla.) picked up the win with 2.2 innings of relief to improve his record to 2-0 on the year. Southpaw Chris Murray (Sr./Navarre, Fla.) relieved Nelson with the tying run at the plate and induced a popout to end the game and earn his first save of the campaign.

Starter Sam Long (Jr./Newnan, Ga.) allowed five runs on eight hits over four innings with no walks and six strikeouts.

Navy and Central Connecticut State will close out the three-game set tomorrow, with first pitch slated for 12 noon. Admission is free for all Navy baseball home games and live stats will be available via GameTracker on www.NavySports.com(.)

DIAMOND NOTES:
- Navy's 9-1 record this season represents the best start since the 1981 Mids went 11-1 to start that year.
- The Midshipmen are 4-0 on their home field this year ... it's their best start at home since the 2007 Mids won their first-five games at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
- Navy has scored 10-plus runs in each of the last-four games ... the last time the Mids reached double figures in four-consecutive games came during the 2000 season, as they crossed home at least 10 times in both ends of doubleheaders against Holy Cross and Lafayette.
- The Mids have registered 10 or more runs in seven of their 10 games this year ... last year, they recorded double-digit runs in 11 of 47 contests.
- The Midshipmen have scored 111 runs over their first-10 games of the year ... it's the highest run production over the first-10 games of any season since 1981, when they scored 112 runs ... Navy's 111 runs are also the most for any 10-game span since it tallied 111 runs during late March and early April of the 1998 campaign.
- Navy has recorded at least 10 hits in each game this spring ... the 19 base knocks in the nightcap were one shy of the season high of 20 hits, which came against Air Force on Feb. 26.
- The Midshipmen pounded out eight doubles in game two, matching the third-highest mark in program history ... the Mids also had eight two-baggers against Lafayette on March 29, 1998, and Merchant Marine on May 15, 1982 ... Saturday's game two performance was two doubles shy of the program record, which was set against Oswego State on April 13, 1980.
- Mike Guadagnini's six RBIs in the opener tied for the fifth-highest mark in school history ... he's the first Navy player to reach that total since Matt Foster did so against Lehigh in the Patriot League Tournament on May 12, 2002 ... Guadagnini was three RBIs shy of the program record of nine runs driven in, which was accomplished by Tony Mauro against Lafayette on March 28, 1998, and Robert Hill against Muhlenberg on April 14, 1945.
- Dylan Wheeler became the third different Navy player to get hit by a pitch twice in the same game during the nightcap, which ties a program record for most in a game ... the Midshipmen have already been hit 21 times this spring, which ranks as the 14th-highest mark in school history.
- Chris Murray's save in the opener pushed his career total to six, which ties him for fourth on the all-time list with Todd Bizba (1985-88).
- Navy is now 6-5 all-time against Central Connecticut State ... the Mids have won each of the last-three meetings, during which they have plated 40 runs.