Feb. 25, 2012
Box Score
KINSTON, N.C. - The Navy baseball team fell to Air Force in both games of a doubleheader on Saturday as the two service academies squared off in the second annual Freedom Classic in Kinston, N.C. The Falcons took game one in 10 innings, 8-7, and then won game two, 10-4, in front of over 2,400 fans at Grainger Stadium. Game three of the three-game series is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.
"Game one was one of those back-and-forth college baseball games," said Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "We hit the ball hard there in the ninth and they made a great play that really saved the game. They were able to get a few runs in the 10th, and we fired back, but just didn't have enough.
"Game two just got away from us. They bunched some hits together, we walked a couple guys and they did a good job of building a big lead."
With the score tied at five in the top of the ninth inning of game one, Navy reliever Joel Rinehart issued a two-out walk to load the bases. The next batter, Tyler Saleck drilled a full-count offering from Rinehart that bounced off the pitcher's leg to shortstop David Wiedeman, who picked up the ball and made the throw to first base just in time for the third out.
Navy had its chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with runners on first and second base and two outs. Greg Dupell sent a sharply-hit ball down the right field line that looked like it might land just past the bag for a base hit, but Saleck snared the ball and tagged first base for the out, sending the game to the 10th inning.
After neither team was able to capitalize in the ninth inning, Air Force struck in the top of the 10th when Blair Roberts knocked in a run with an RBI single up the middle. Garrett Custons followed with an RBI triple and a sacrifice bunt by Alex Bast brought in Custons to put Air Force in front, 8-5.
Consecutive singles by Kash Manzelli and Grant LaTerza and an Air Force error in the bottom of the 10th led to a run for the Mids as they pulled within two at 8-6. A single by Greg Bryant kept the Navy rally alive and Wiedeman followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Nikolai Simonsen to make it a one-run game.
But in the next at-bat, Falcon reliever Alex Baker got pinch hitter Josh Moore to fly out to center field to end the game.
Rinehart (0-1), who was the fourth Navy pitcher to see action in game one, took the loss, while Baker (1-0) earned the win in two and two-thirds innings of work in relief.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Navy got help from consecutive Air Force errors and the third batter of the frame, Chance Jones, made the Falcons pay as he cleared the bases with a towering, three-run homer to right field to give Navy the lead, 3-2.
David Thomas reclaimed the lead for Air Force, 4-3, in the top of the sixth inning when he took advantage of the strong wind blowing out to right field and hit a two-run homer off Navy reliever Stephen Moore.
Air Force added another run in the top of the eighth inning, but the Mids rallied in the bottom of the frame to tie the score. Dupell made it a one-run game when he scored on a wild pitch before Jones tied it with a two-out, RBI single.
Cameron White, who started on the mound for Air Force in game one, went seven and one-third innings and allowed five runs (one earned), struck out seven and didn't issue a walk.
Navy's Ben Nelson had his shortest outing in his last six starts dating back to last season, as he went five innings and allowed three runs off five hits.
The Falcons seemed to use their momentum from the extra-inning win as they jumped on Navy in game two by scoring three runs in the second inning and adding two more in the third.
Leading 5-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Air Force sent all nine batters to the plate as it tacked on five more runs. Custons' bases-loaded, two-RBI single and Bast's two-RBI double down the left field line keyed the five-run frame.
Bast went 3-for-4 in the nightcap with a game-high three RBIs.
Navy responded though by getting on the board in the top of the seventh inning. After picking up four RBIs in game one, Jones belted his second home run of the day as his two-out, two-RBI homer cleared the wall in left field.
The sophomore Jones went 2-for-4 in both games on Saturday.
"Chance Jones had another good day, which was good to see," said Kostacopoulos. "As far as driving in runs, he was kind of our offense for the most part.'
The Mids added two more runs in the seventh off an infield error by Air Force second baseman Blair Roberts to make the score 10-4.
In his second-career start, Preston Gainey lasted four and one-third innings and allowed five runs (three earned) off four hits. He struck out seven and walked four as he fell to 0-2.
Air Force's Michael Ceci went six and two-thirds innings and allowed all four unearned runs off four hits to earn the win.
With both teams now 3-3 on the year, Navy will look to get back in the win column on Sunday with senior Zach Sipe scheduled to start on the mound.
"We have to bounce back tomorrow," said Kostacopoulos. "That's the name of the game - come back and get them tomorrow."
