March 26, 2011

Box Score

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy baseball team picked up a pair of wins on Saturday as it swept a doubleheader from Princeton at Max Bishop Stadium. Navy won game one, 7-2, and trailed by the same score late in game two, but a six-run outburst in the bottom of the eighth inning gave Navy the lead as it held on to win, 8-7.

"Whenever you get six runs late and then get a 1-2-3 ninth with a spectacular defensive play, you have to feel good about it," said Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "That second game was a great uplift."

Navy got an outstanding performance from starting pitcher Sam Long in game one as the left-hander scattered just four hits to pick up his second win of the season. After a 1-0 complete-game loss last weekend, Long pitched another complete game on Saturday and this time got plenty of run support.

"Sam was right on and pretty much in control the entire game," said Kostacopoulos. "We did a nice job of keeping the pressure on them in game one. We kept stretching the lead and Sam kept everything under control."

Navy jumped out front in the first inning as Dave Milanes and Greg Dupell each drove in runs.

The Mids doubled their lead in the third inning when an error by Tiger shortstop Andrew Whitener allowed two runs to score.

Princeton sliced the deficit in half in the top of the fourth inning, but Navy got back one of the runs in the bottom of the frame with another RBI hit by Dupell.

Pitching with a 5-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning, Long walked one and struck out three and then cruised as he faced just seven hitters the rest of the way.

Navy extended its lead to 7-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning, courtesy of another Princeton error and an RBI single to center field by Nick Driscoll.

Long finished with a season-high nine strikeouts while Princeton starting pitcher Matt Bowman allowed seven runs, but just two earned, and dropped to 0-3 with the loss.

Dupell gave Navy a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of game two, but a two-out rally by Princeton in the top of the third gave the Tigers their first lead of the day.

After a leadoff single, Navy starting pitcher Jonny Schoberl got the next two hitters to fly out. But three consecutive walks, a wild pitch and an error gave Princeton the lead, 3-1.

Princeton's Bobby Geren then ended Schoberl's day prematurely with an RBI single that made the score 4-1 in the third inning.

A passed ball gave Navy a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Tigers got to reliever Preston Gainey for three runs in the top of the fifth. A base hit and a sacrifice fly plated the first two runs and then with the bases loaded, reliever Wes Olson hit the first batter he faced to bring in the third run of the inning.

The Tigers' game-two starter Zak Hermans never allowed the Mids' bats to get going in game two as he gave up just two hits after the second inning.

But after Matt Welsh replaced Hermans to start the bottom of the seventh inning, the Midshipmen took advantage and began their rally.

Welsh surrendered consecutive singles to Alex Azor and Milanes to start the inning and Dupell followed with a triple that plated both runners, to make the score 7-4.

Taylor Cato followed in the next at-bat with a sacrifice fly that scored Dupell to make it a two-run game.

After a groundout and a walk, Matt Grabowski replaced Welsh with two outs and issued three consecutive walks to bring in another run for Navy to make the score 7-6.

David Palms replaced Grabowski and it looked like he might get an inning-ending groundout on ball hit by Azor, but the shortstop Bowman's throw to first base sailed high and brought in the tying and go-ahead runs for Navy.

Leading, 8-7, Joel Rinehart came on for Olson in the top of the ninth. Rinehart got a routine fly ball for his first out and then a spectacular diving catch by the center fielder Azor put Navy one out closer to ending the game. With both Azor and Cato tracking the ball in right center field, Azor made a leaping play just in front of Cato to come down with the ball.

Rinehart then stuck out Whitener to end the game as he picked up his team-leading third save of the season.

Olson, who was rock-solid in relief, earned the win for Navy. After hitting the first batter he faced in the fifth inning, Olson faced the minimum the rest of the way as he racked up four strikeouts.

"Wes was the key in the second game," said Kostacopoulos. "He came in and settled the game down and gave us the chance to get back in it."

Grabowski took the loss for Princeton.

With the two wins, Navy improved to 13-9-1, overall, and 8-3-1 in its last 12 games. Princeton is now 3-12 on the year.

The two teams will close out the series on Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. at Max Bishop Stadium.

Notes...
• Navy is now 10-1 when holding its opponents to fewer than five runs.
• Brandon Beans went 0-for-3 in game one, snapping his team-high 11-game hitting streak.
• Joel Rinehart now has four-career saves, putting him in a five-way tie for seventh place on Navy's all-time list.