April 2, 2011

Box Score

BETHLEHEM. Pa. - The Navy and Lehigh baseball teams opened Patriot League play on Saturday in Bethlehem, Pa., by splitting a doubleheader. The Mountain Hawks took game one, 6-2, while Navy responded to win the following game, 9-5.

Trailing 1-0, Navy broke open game two with a five-run third inning. The Mids followed with another big inning in the fourth when they scored four more runs to take a 9-1 lead.

"They played well in the first game," said Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "In the second game, we pecked away, found some holes and got those two big innings. Fortunately, it was enough to hang on."

Navy's five-run, third-inning started with three straight singles, the last of them by Andrew Hahn, which scored Josh Moore. Dave Milanes made it 2-1 two batters later when a sacrifice fly to center field plated Dylan Wheeler.

Greg Dupell and Taylor Cato both followed with consecutive RBI singles, boosting Navy's lead to 4-1.

Thomas O'Malley, who replaced starter Colon Gotzon on the mound after just 2.2 innings, didn't' get off to a good start either as a balk brought in Dupell from third base for Navy's fifth run of the inning.

A critical error by Lehigh second baseman Brendan Pifer in the top of the fourth inning helped Navy tack on four more runs.

Pifer's error with two outs allowed Alex Azor to reach first base and Moore to score from third base.

In the next at-bat, Milanes made the Mountain Hawks pay as he belted a three-run shot over the left field wall, giving Navy a 9-1 lead.

After allowing just one run and stranding seven base runners through five innings, Navy starting pitcher Johnny Schoberl found himself in tough situation with no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning as he faced Jeff Wiand with the bases loaded. Wiand turned on Schoberl's offering and sent it deep the right center field. Navy center fielder Alex Azor tracked the ball all the way to the wall where leaped and fully extended his right arm over the wooden outfield fence. Azor's outstretched glove reached just far enough as he caught the ball, saving a potentially game-changing grand slam.

"In all my years of being involved with college baseball - that was the best catch I've ever seen," said Kostacopoulos. "Going over the wall, catching the ball and bringing it back - I've never seen a play like that in college."

Azor's catch limited Lehigh to just one run in the inning.

The Mountain Hawks scored two more unearned runs in the seventh inning to make the score 9-4.

Schoberl faced the first three Lehigh hitters in the bottom of the eighth inning before giving way to reliever Joel Rinehart with one out.

Rinehart allowed an RBI single, but like Schoberl earlier, he was the recipient of solid defense behind him as the Mids registered their fifth double play of the game to end the inning.

In the ninth, Rinehart retired the side to ensure Navy's 9-5 win.

While he scattered 13 hits, Schoberl was effective on Saturday as he allowed just two earned runs and struck out four in 7.1 innings. He improved to 3-1 on the season with the win.

"I've always said it is tough sometimes t pitch with a big lead because you're throwing strikes to avoid walking anyone, so you're going to give up some hits," Kostacopoulos said. "He never pitched himself into a big inning and did a good job in the type of game that we were in today."

Down 1-0 in the top of the third inning of game one, Navy scored its first runs of the day courtesy of Andrew Hahn. Dylan Wheeler led off the frame with a double to deep right field, and Hahn followed with his first home run of the season - a deep shot over the wall in right center field.

"He's been working really hard in practice the last couple weeks," Kostacopoulos said of Hahn, who went 3-for-4 in game one. "It's good to see that he's starting to come on."

Lehigh reclaimed the lead with three runs off five hits, four of which were singles, in the bottom of the third. The Mountain Hawks tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning to extend their lead to 6-2.

Lehigh starting pitcher Mike Lebo kept Navy hitters off balance in game one as he limited the offense to just six hits, including just two hits over the final four innings.

Sam Long, Navy's game one starting pitcher, surrendered six runs (five earned) off 10 hits as he took the loss to fall to 2-3 on the year.

Navy, now 15-12-1, and Lehigh, at 16-9, will meet in a doubleheader again tomorrow at 12 p.m.

Notes...
• Navy had a season-high five double plays in game two.
• With its win in game two, Navy improved to 12-2 when holding opponents to five or fewer runs.
• Dave Milanes' home run was his second of the season and with four RBIs in game two, he brought his team-leading total to 31.
• Navy is now 13-6 in Patriot League-opening games.