April 9, 2011
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Coach Paul | Preston
WEST POINT, N.Y. - After falling in game one, 3-0, the Navy baseball team responded to win game two of a doubleheader, 4-3, on Saturday afternoon at Doubleday Field in West Point, N.Y. Preston Gainey picked up his first collegiate save in game two, as he pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out six of the 11 batters he faced.
"That second game was a battle," said Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "It seemed like one of those games where every pitch mattered. They kept putting the pressure on, we kept trying to get something going, and thankfully, we had some pretty good pitching to help preserve the win."
Trailing 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning of game two, Navy jumped on the Black Knights and scored three runs off five hits to take the lead.
Dave Milanes started the inning with a double to left field and Greg Dupell followed with a single. Jeff Bland then brought in the first run with another double to left field that scored Milanes.
After Black Knight starter Thomas Casey got a groundball out and a fielder's choice that led to Dupell being thrown out at home, Dylan Wheeler kept Navy alive with single to left field.
Brandon Beans then came through with the big hit Navy needed - a hard-hit single up the middle that brought in Bland and Josh Moore for a 3-1 lead.
A leadoff single, walk and hit-by-pitch packed the bases for Navy again in the top of the fifth inning where Nick Driscoll added to the Mids' lead with sacrifice fly to center field that brought in Alex Azor.
Navy starting pitcher Johnny Schoberl held Army to just three hits through four innings, but the Black Knights manufactured two runs in the bottom of the fifth to tighten the score.
An RBI groundout by Clint Moore and RBI single by Joey Henshaw with two outs made the score 4-3.
Schoberl got two more outs in the sixth inning before Gainey replaced him to get the final out, stranding two runners on base.
After getting out of a jam in the sixth, Gainey sailed through the seventh and eighth innings as he faced the minimum and fanned three batters.
Still leading 4-3 in the top of the ninth inning, it looked like Navy might add to its total. A single by Azor and then consecutive walks to Milanes and Dupell loaded the bases. But, Army reliever Ken Jackson got Bland to hit into a double play and keep it a one-run game.
After striking out the leadoff batter in the bottom of the ninth, Gainey then gave up his first hit of the day - a single by Zach Price.
Undaunted by the hit and having the tying runner on base, Gainey then fanned Ben Koenigsfield for his fifth K and froze Clint Moore with a called strike three to end the game.
"It just worked out in my favor today," Gainey said.
Saturday's appearance was just the sixth of the season for the freshman from Pompano Beach, Fla.
"I wanted to come into the game in that type of situation," Gainey said. "I've been working at it all season."
Schoberl picked up his second consecutive win, and fourth of the season, in game two.
Casey took the loss for Army to fall to 0-2.
In game one, starting pitchers Logan Lee and Ben Nelson combined to allow a total of just two hits through two and a half innings.
Army picked up the third hit of the game with a leadoff single by Cody Murtle to start the bottom of the third frame. After a strikeout and fly out, it looked like Nelson would get out of the inning with Murtle stuck at first base. But after a walk to Price, a base knock to right field by Koenigsfeld brought in Murtle for the first run of the game.
Navy responded to threaten in the top of the fourth inning when Azor reached on an error and Milanes followed with a single over the head of the shortstop Moore.
Navy's potential rally was suddenly halted in the next at-bat when Dupell lined a ball sharply at Moore at third base, who made the catch and then threw out Azor at second for the inning-ending double play.
The Black Knights used another two-out hit in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend their lead to 3-0. With runners on first and second base, Steve May knocked a ball that dropped just out of the reach of Navy shortstop Dylan Wheeler in left field, scoring both runners.
Lee retired four consecutive before a hit batter and two-out single by Azor gave Navy another chance to get on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning.
Milanes was able to work the count and fouled off several pitches, but Lee got him to swing at strike three to end the inning.
Koenigsfeld came in from left field to pitch the seventh and retired the Mids in order to end game one.
Nelson scattered six hits and struck out seven in game one, but took the loss to fall to 4-3.
Lee kept the Navy offense off the bases in game one as he allowed just three hits in six complete innings. With the win, Lee improved to 3-5.
With the teams splitting Saturday's games, the winner of this year's Star will be determined tomorrow. Since Army won the first game of the series, Navy will need to win both games on Sunday to claim the Star. Army needs to win one of Sunday's two contests to retain the Star.
Sunday's doubleheader is slated to begin at 1 p.m.
Notes...
• Navy made it six consecutive games with at least one double play as it turned two in both games on Saturday...The Mids have now turned 13 double plays in their last six games.
• Navy is now 11-2-1 when it records at least 10 hits.
• Jeff Bland, Dave Milanes and Alex Azor were the only three Mids to have hits in both games today.
