April 25, 2010
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy baseball team suffered a pair of setbacks, 8-3 and 6-1, during Sunday's doubleheader against Holy Cross at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Midshipmen fell to 26-18 overall and 6-10 in Patriot League play, while the Crusaders improved to 21-19 on the year and 9-7 in league contests.
"We did not get anything going offensively in either game today," stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "There was no continuity in our lineup. At the same time, credit must go to Holy Cross's pitchers for doing a good job. They didn't open any doors for us and were in command the entire day."
In the opener, Holy Cross jumped out to a 7-0 before Navy responded in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs and nobody on, Alex Azor (So./Miami, Fla.) singled up the middle before Mike Hoosier (Sr./Pomona, N.Y.) drew a walk. Michael Speciale (Sr./Pearland, Texas) delivered a RBI-single through the left side, followed by a Kendall Bolt (Sr./Stockton, Calif.) double down the right-field line to make the score 7-3.
However, the Crusaders would immediately answer with a run in the fifth and the Midshipmen were unable to push across any more runs, despite two runners on base in both the fifth and sixth innings.
Navy's Tyler Mapes (Fr./Plano, Texas) was charged for the loss in his first-career start. He allowed seven runs, six of which were earned, on 10 hits in 3.1 innings with a walk and a strikeout.
Bolt was the lone Navy batter to record a multi-hit performance in the opener, as he went 2-for-3. The Mids were outhit by the Crusaders, 13-6.
In game two, Holy Cross struck first in the first inning before Navy tied the score at one in the third. Andrew Hahn (So./Ellicott City, Md.) led off the frame with a single, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a Mike Guadagnini (Jr./Virginia Beach, Va.) single up the middle.
The score would remain tied until the sixth, as Holy Cross scored on a RBI-double and pushed its lead to 4-1 with a two-out, two-run home run to right by Patrick Puentes.
"That was a big hit - a game-changer right there," said Kostacopoulos. "Puentes just was able to turn on a fastball and drive it."
Navy would try to use some two-out magic in the bottom half of the inning, as Azor and Speciale both singled but were left stranded on a groundout to end the threat. The Midshipmen would not get a runner in scoring position for the remainder of the contest.
Starter Zach Sipe (So./Huffman, Texas) was tagged for the loss, as he allowed four runs on five hits over six innings of work with three walks and three strikeouts.
Speciale posted a multi-hit effort for the Mids in game two, as he finished 2-for-3. Navy was outhit by Holy Cross in the nightcap, 10-6.
The Midshipmen will return to action this Thursday when they head to Joe Cannon Stadium to take on Coppin State at 3 p.m. Live stats will be available via GameTracker on www.NavySports.com(.)
DIAMOND NOTES:
- Navy committed just one error combined in the two games on Sunday ... over the last-11 games, the Midshipmen have played seven error-free games and made a total of just four errors, which is good for a .990 fielding percentage.
- Despite the two losses on Sunday, the Midshipmen split the four-game weekend series and are 55-25 all-time against Holy Cross.
- The Midshipmen have played 31 of their first-44 games of the year, posting a 19-12 record at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium ... six of Navy's final-seven contests of the regular season will be played on the road.
