March 19, 2011

Box Score

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After falling 1-0 in game one, the Navy baseball team responded to defeat Yale, 15-7, in game two of a doubleheader on Saturday at Max Bishop Stadium. The split now gives Navy a record of 10-8-1 on the season, while Yale is now 4-7.

"When you play as many doubleheaders as we do, you have to be able to respond," said Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "I think, by nature, some teams respond and some teams do not. I'm hoping this is a team that will respond.

"We were able to come back, and that's the key in this type of season - to not allow anything in the first game - whether it's a plus or minus - affect how you approach the second game."

Navy was guided by captain Jeff Bland in game two, who went 5-for-5 at the plate with three singles and two doubles. The senior catcher also had a game-high four RBIs.

"Jeff has been playing as well as you can play," Kostacopoulos said. "Offensively, he's giving us some quality at-bats and defensively he's blocking balls and throwing out runners. There is not much more you could ask for."

Yale starting pitcher Brook Hart scattered just two hits and struck out five as he pitched a complete-game shutout in game one.

Sam Long started on the hill for Navy and also pitched a complete game. He allowed seven hits, struck out three and walked two, but took the loss to fall to 1-2.

Both pitchers limited the opposition to a combined five hits through five innings, but four singles by Yale in the top of the sixth led to the only run of the game.

With two outs, Charlie Neil and Andrew Moore singled, consecutively, to left field. Ryan Brenner followed in the next at-bat with another base hit to left field to bring in Neil in what proved to be the only run of the game.

Game one marked the first time Navy had been shutout all season and the Midshipmen responded in game two by taking the lead in the first inning.

Yale's game two starting pitcher Pat Ludwig hit Brandon Beans with a pitch to start the game and Taylor Cato followed with a double to left center field. A ground-out RBI by Alex Azor in the next at-bat gave Navy the lead, 1-0.

With the score tied at one in the bottom of the third frame, another ground-out RBI - this time by Cato - reclaimed the lead for Navy, 2-1.

Navy made it a 3-1 game in the bottom of the fourth inning when a wild pitch by Ludwig allowed Bland to score easily from third base.

Consecutive singles, followed by an RBI double by Cale Hanson helped Yale take its first lead of the game in the top of the fifth inning. An RBI single and sacrifice fly added two more runs as the Bulldogs took the lead, 4-3.

After retiring the first two hitters, Ludwig issued three consecutive walks to load the bases for Navy in the bottom of the fifth inning. Bland then came through with his biggest hit of the day - a double to deep right field that scored all three runners and gave Navy the lead, 6-4.

"That inning was the turning point in the game," Kostacopoulos said. "We got a little momentum going and started doing some good things."

Bland's two-out double indeed rallied the Mids as they went on to score eight runs in the seventh inning to put the game away.

Bland brought in the first run of the inning with another double and two batters later, Craig Veech singled in Dave Milanes.

A bases-loaded walk to Dylan Wheeler and then a fielder's-choice RBI by Brandon Beans gave the Midshipmen two more runs and made the score 10-4.

Alex Azor picked up his first hit of the day in the inning as his single to left field plated two more runs and then Milanes closed out the scoring in the inning with a two-RBI double.

Leading 14-4 in the bottom of the eighth, a ground-out RBI by Wheeler gave Navy its 15th run of the game.

Yale added three runs in the top of the ninth to make the final score 15-7.

Luke Roberts, who pitched just one inning, picked up the win in game two and is now 1-0 on the year.

Ludwig, who allowed six runs off six hits in six complete innings, took the loss to fall to 0-2.

The two teams will meet again on Sunday in a doubleheader that will begin at 12 p.m.

Notes...
• Jeff Bland's 5-for-5 performance marked the second time in the last six games Navy has had a player go 5-for-5 as Alex Azor also accomplished the feat on March 13 vs. Central Michigan.
• Navy's eight runs in the seventh inning of game two marked its highest run total for an inning this season.
• With hits in both games on Saturday, Brandon Beans extended his hitting streak to nine games.
• Though his eight-game hitting streak was snapped, Alex Azor has now reached base safely in the last 15 games.