March 2, 2011

Box Score

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Navy scored in double figures for the second consecutive game, but it wasn't enough as Coppin State put up 10 runs over the final three innings and came back to defeat the Midshipmen, 13-11, on Wednesday afternoon at Max Bishop Stadium. Wednesday's game was the first of a six-game home stand in Annapolis.

After Eagle starting pitcher Zach Spahn allowed 11 runs off 11 hits through the first three innings, relievers Derek Richards and John Bergwall successfully slowed the Mids' offense as they limited them to just three hits over the final six innings.

"There were so many aspects of today's game that were unacceptable, including the lack of scoring in the fourth through ninth innings," said Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "We didn't perform on a lot of levels, but give Coppin State credit for hanging in there and continuing to battle."

Richards allowed just two hits in four complete innings to earn the win. Bergwall picked up his first save of the season as he surrendered one hit over the final two innings.

The Navy offense came out strong as it scored four runs in both the first and second innings to quickly take an 8-0 lead.

Nick Driscoll got things started when he hit his second home run in the last three games, putting the Mids up 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning before they later added two more runs with two outs.

Navy put up five hits in the second inning, leading to four more runs. Dave Milanes and Matt Kilby had RBI doubles and Jonathan Wright continued the theme as he also doubled and drove in two runs.

CSU got on the board with three runs in the top of the third inning, but the Midshipmen answered in the bottom half of the frame as they plated three more runs of their own. An error allowed the first Navy run to score, then Greg Dupell tripled in Alex Azor and Wright followed with his second run-scoring double of the day to push the Navy lead to 11-3.

Still trailing by eight runs in the top of the seventh inning, Coppin State put the first three hitters on base, setting up Jesse Savage's three-RBI triple to right field. Three more hits helped produce three more runs for Coppin State as it made the score 11-9.

A bases loaded walk in the eighth inning, followed by a three-RBI double from Spahn completed the comeback for the Eagles as they took the lead, 13-11.

Jordan Heller was tagged with the loss for Navy and is now 0-2 on the season.

In his first start of the season, Wright led Navy at the plate with a pair of doubles in a 3-for-5 performance as the designated hitter.

Up next for Navy (2-6) is UMBC, which it will host on Friday at 2:30 p.m.

Notes...
• Navy has now scored in double figures in consecutive games for the first time since March 6, 2010 when it scored 12 and 14 runs, respectively, in a doubleheader sweep of Central Connecticut State.
• Matt Kilby's second-inning double was his first collegiate hit.
• Nick Driscoll (3-for-6), Dave Milanes (2-for-5), Greg Dupell (2-for-4), Jonathan Wright (3-for-5) and Matt Kilby (2-for-4) all had multiple hits on Wednesday.
• Relief pitcher Dwayne Gammage struck out a season-high three batters in 1.2 innings of work.
• Navy is now 76-37-3 in home openers.