April 19, 2011
Box Score
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy baseball team capped its five-game homestand with a 10-3 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Tuesday afternoon at Max Bishop Stadium. Navy improved to 23-16-1 on the year as nine different players picked up a hit in the win.
The game was tight throughout as the Midshipmen led 4-3 before adding two runs in the sixth and four more in the eighth to seal the win.
Navy outhit the Hawks, 14-9, while UMES left a total of 13 runners on base.
"It was a good ballgame," said Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "They made some really nice defensive plays. We had to work hard to get runs - the final score really isn't indicative of how close of a game it was."
Freshman Jordan Heller, who was scheduled to pitch only a few innings, went four complete and picked up his first-career win. Heller allowed one run off five hits, struck out five and didn't issue a walk.
Heller struck out three in the first inning, stranding runners at second and third after an error extended the frame.
"He pitched out a jam - which he didn't create - in the first inning and it was a solid outing," Kostacopoulos said. "It was good to get him some innings."
In his first collegiate appearance, freshman Chris Campbell got the start at third base and drove in three runs as he went 1-for-4 at the plate.
"When you play five games in three days, you need everyone to contribute and I think a lot of people chipped in," said Kostacopoulos.
With Navy leading 1-0 off a Dave Milanes RBI single in the bottom of the second inning, Campbell picked up his first-career RBI with a groundout to make it 2-0.
In the bottom of the fourth with the score 2-1, Nick Driscoll and Campbell picked up consecutive RBI singles with two outs to extend the lead to 4-1.
But UMES kept the pressure on the top of the fifth as it scored twice off Navy reliever Dwayne Gammage. A bases-loaded, ground-out double play plated one run and an RBI single made it 4-3.
With the lead still just one run in the bottom of the sixth inning, Campbell drove in his second run of the game via groundout, and third of the game. Andrew Hahn then made it a 6-3-game with a two-out RBI single through the right side.
Wes Olson kept the Hawks (5-31) off the board in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, allowing Navy to extend its lead with four runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Brandon Beans, Alex Azor and Bland all picked up RBI hits in the inning, while Milanes got his second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to make the score 10-3.
After five games in three days, the Mids will have some time to prepare for returning to Patriot League play this weekend.
"It will be good to get off our feet for a day and then start to prepare for Holy Cross," said Kostacopoulos.
This weekend's four-game series in Worcester, Mass., will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday with a doubleheader.
