March 30, 2011
Box Score
EMMITSBURG, Md. - The Navy baseball team fell to Mount St. Mary's, 5-4, in a game cut short after seven innings on Wednesday afternoon. A mix of rain and snow began to fall as the game progressed and the umpires decided to stop the game due to inclement weather with Navy batting in the top of the eighth inning.
With snow coming down and Navy leading, 4-2, in the bottom of the seventh inning, Mount St. Mary's took advantage of consecutive Navy throwing errors with two outs to score three unearned runs and grab a 5-4 lead.
Navy's Brandon Beans led off the top of the eighth inning with a single and in the next at-bat, Jeff Bland singled to third base. A throwing error on the play allowed Bland to advance to second base and Beans to score what looked to be the tying run. But after Beans crossed the plate, the umpires made the decision to halt the game - wiping the run off the scoreboard.
Navy's run did not count because the inning was incomplete, giving Mount St. Mary's a 5-4 win.
An official protest was filed by Navy after the game was called.
Wes Olson, who entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, took the hard-luck loss for Navy. The Mount's Brett Moore, who went seven complete innings before being taken out to start the eighth inning, earned the win.
A bunt single by Beans with two outs in the top of the second inning was Navy's first hit of the game and led to its first runs. Bland followed in the next at-bat with a two-out, two-run homer over the left field wall to put Navy ahead, 2-0.
A single by Nick Driscoll and an error on a ball hit by Alex Azor put two runners on base for Navy to start the third inning. In the next at-bat, Dave Milanes sent a ball toward shortstop Michael Foster, who misplayed it, allowing Driscoll to score, giving Navy a 3-0 lead.
The Mount got its first runs of the day in the bottom of the third inning off consecutive RBI singles by Foster and Mark Quaranta.
With a mix of precipitation falling, Navy added a run to its total in the top of the seventh inning. With one out and Driscoll on third base, Milanes drove in his second run of the day with a sacrifice fly to deep right field, giving Navy a 4-2 lead.
Zach Sipe started on the mound for Navy and held the Mount scoreless in his scheduled two-inning appearance.
Harrison Pollard saw his first action since March 8 as he replaced Sipe in the top of the third. Pollard allowed two runs off three hits to start his outing, but settled in and didn't allow a hit the rest of the way.
Johnny Schoberl and Preston Gainey each pitched a scoreless inning before Olson took over in the bottom of the seventh.
Navy, now 14-11-1, will open Patriot League play this weekend when it heads to Bethlehem, Pa., to face Lehigh. The series will start on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 12 noon.
Notes...
• Jeff Bland is now alone in ninth place on Navy's all-time home run list with 13 career home runs...Bland's home run was the first by a Midshipman since March 15 when Greg Dupell had a three-run shot in a 17-14 win over Chicago State.
• Dave Milanes brought his team-leading RBI total to 27 with two more RBIs on Wednesday.
