Final Stats

DOVER, Del. -- In an offensive clash on Wednesday afternoon, the Navy baseball team led wire-to-wire on its way to a 15-7 victory over Delaware State. The visiting Mids (27-13) score runs in seven of their nine offensive innings and received nine RBIs from the duo of Sean Trent (Jr., Sorrento, Fla.) and Stephen Born (Fr., Strafford, Pa.), who hit in the third and fourth spots in the batting order versus the Hornets (8-22). Multiple runs in the first, second and fifth innings ensured the win for Navy.

Trent and Born led a Midshipmen offense that recorded 15 runs on 18 hits and 11 walks drawn. Trent went 4-for-5 with two doubles, three runs scored and four RBIs, while Born was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with a triple, two runs scored and a game-high five RBIs. The freshman right-fielder also drew two walks to reach in all six of his plate appearances on Wednesday. Robert Currie (Jr., Atlanta, Ga.) and Sean Kamhoot (Fr., Gainesville, Fla.) aided Navy's effort as each player registered two RBIs.

"It was an offensive game for us," remarked head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "We were able to put together some really good at bats. Sean Trent and Steve Born had eight hits between them in the three and four spots of our lineup so that will really propel your offense."

On the mound, Charlie LaMar (Sr., Clearwater, Fla.) led a trio of middle relievers that slowed an explosive Delaware State offense that had 76 extra-base hits, including 23 home runs, before Wednesday. Coming in with the score at 8-4 in favor of the Mids in the bottom of the third, LaMar, Andrew Bartek (Jr., Jefferson, Ga.) and Brian Wikoff (So., Shrewsbury, N.J.) held the Hornets to just one run over the next five innings.

"Our middle relief did a good job," said Kostacopoulos. "Early on, outs were not coming easy and they roughed up Colin a bit. Sometimes in games like these, whatever pitcher gets hot first will lead their respective team to victory; I thought that was Charlie today. He got hot and got some outs when we needed them. Andrew and Brian did a good job after Charlie. Moreover, it was an offensive day and we were able to score some runs."

The offensive fireworks started early at Soldier Field as the Mids scored four runs in the top of the first inning. Trent and Born came through with the big hits as Trent launched a one-out double to the right-center field wall before Born followed up with a triple towards center field again. A sacrifice fly by Kamhoot closed out the scoring in the first.

After Delaware State responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning, Navy's hot bats kept connecting in the top of the second as six straight hitters reached base with two outs. A Travis Blue (So., Orange, Calif.) double started the rally before five more of his teammates either recorded hits or base on balls. Born drove in two runs in the inning as he stroked a single into right field to score Trent and Brad Borosak (Sr., Jupiter, Fla.), who both had RBIs earlier in the frame.

With the score 7-2, a series of runs by both teams over the next two innings would make it an 8-5 game after four full frames. Currie drove in the Mids' run in the third.

The host Hornets never got closer than three runs as the Mids blew open the game in the top of the fifth. In that inning, Navy notched four runs on an RBI double by Trent, a two-RBI single by Born and a Delaware State error.

Solid pitching by LaMar over the third, fourth and fifth innings in relief of Colin Brady (Fr., Seneca, S.C.) made sure that a seven-run lead held up. The senior southpaw struck out five batters and allowed just one run on three hits over his three innings on the mound.

Up 13-5 through five and a half innings, Bartek notched a scoreless inning of relief in the bottom of the sixth before Wikoff set down the Hornets in the seventh and eighth innings. During his appearance, Wikoff struck out a career-best three batters.

With the game well in hand, Navy scored single runs in the eighth and ninth courtesy of RBIs by Kamhoot and Currie.

Nick Paglialonga (So., Lake Forest, Calif.) closed out the game on the mound for the Mids as the sophomore catcher made his collegiate debut on the mound and struck out one Hornet.

In the 15-7 victory, Navy outhit Delaware State, 18-13. Trent and Born led the Mids' attack with four hits each. In total, six different Navy batters had two or more hits and eight of the nine starters had at least one hit.

For his three innings of three-hit relief, LaMar earned his first collegiate win. Over the first 40 appearances of his career prior to Wednesday, LaMar had never been involved in a decision.

Navy will next be in action in Bethlehem, Pa. with a four-game weekend series versus Lehigh. The Mids and Mountain Hawks will kick off the Patriot League series with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.