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ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy baseball team got another stellar pitching performance as the squad used a 1-0 shutout in game two to split a Sunday doubleheader with Princeton. After dropping the first game of the twinbill at Max Bishop Stadium to the Tigers (6-10) by a score of 4-1, the Mids (18-6-1) used a combined shutout from Kyle Condry (Jr., Highland Village, Texas), Andrew Bartek (Sr., Jefferson, Ga.) and Sam Sorenson (Sr., Etters, Pa.) to secure the team's third win of the series.

All three victories for Navy during the four-game set with Princeton were of the shutout variety.

"For the second straight day we went out there and pitched it," remarked head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "In game one, we pitched pretty well and kept it within striking distance and then Kyle, Andrew and Sam combined for a shutout in game two. This was a weekend where we really leaned on our pitching. We have to get our offense going because it'll be very hard to win ball games like this."

Offensively, Travis Blue (Jr., Orange, Calif.), Sean Trent (Sr., Sorrento, Fla.) and Matthew Wilcox (Fr., Los Gatos, Calif.) led Navy on Sunday. Blue was on base in five of his seven plate appearances and scored both of the Mids' runs, while Trent was the player, who drove in Blue on both occasions. Wilcox caused trouble for the Tigers' pitching staff by reaching base three separate times during his five plate appearances.

"Travis was so vital to our offense," said Kostacopoulos. "He was our energy, he got on base, he tried to make things happen as a base runner and he played excellent defense. He was our best field player today."

After getting shut out twice on Saturday, Princeton made sure that streak wouldn't extend much longer in game one on Sunday. After Navy starting pitcher Noah Song (Fr., Claremont, Calif.) struck out the first two batters he faced in the game, the Tigers loaded the bases as their next three batters reached on two singles and a walk. A fly out to Trent in left field ended the initial threat by Princeton. After Navy was retired in the bottom of the first inning, Princeton came back in the second inning and sent seven men to the plate with four of them notching hits. By the time Song had recorded his third out of the inning, the visitors had posted a three-spot on the scoreboard.

Down 3-0 and having already given up six hits over his first two innings, Song settled in and shut down the Tigers' offense for each of the next three innings, as only one batter, Andres Larramendi reached (on a hit by pitch) during that span. With Princeton's attack stabilized, it was Navy's turn to try and dig out of it's three-run deficit. After two men reached in the bottom of the second inning, the Mids finally broke through with a run in the third as Blue drove a double into right field before Trent, the next batter, plated him with a single through the right side of the infield.

The score stayed at a 3-1 margin over the fourth and fifth innings as both starting pitchers, Song for Navy and Cameron Mingo for Princeton had found their comfort zone. In the sixth, the Tigers tacked on an insurance run as a leadoff walk eventually turned into a score after back-to-back singles by Cody Phillips and Danny Hoy.

Mingo closed out the Mids and the 4-1 victory with just one hit allowed over the final two innings for Navy.

For the game, Princeton outhit Navy, 9-5. Trent was the only Midshipman with multiple hits as he recorded a pair of singles.

Song took the loss for Navy with a final line of 5.2 innings pitched, six hits allowed, two walks, four runs and five strikeouts.

In the second contest on Sunday, the Mids looked to get their offense going early as the hosts jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Blue hit a one-out triple to deep center field before Trent drove him in on an RBI groundout.

That would be all that Navy starter Condry would need as he was locked in on Princeton's offense. After striking out two in the first inning, the right-handed pitcher from Texas came out in the top of the second and made it three in a row as he rung up Phillips with strike-three looking. No Princeton batters made it past second base under Condry's watch the rest of the way as his strong pitching was back up by some crisply turned defense plays by his fielders. Nick Paglialonga (Jr., Lake Forest, Calif.) was one of the Mids who stepped up defensively to quell the Tigers as he caught his 14th potential base stealer of the season in the fourth inning on a put out of Joseph Flynn at second base.

After hurling three scoreless innings on Wednesday at UMBC, Condry's week of shutout action came to a close in the seventh inning as he was relieved by Bartek with a man on second base and one out. Once Bartek was done warming up the reigning Patriot League Pitcher of the Week, struck out the, Paul Tupper swinging before the Mids' defense came up big once again during the next at bat. With two outs and Zack Belski on second, the Tigers' catcher Andrew Christie shot a hard single into right field that Stephen Born (So., Strafford, Pa.) caught on one bounce. Recognizing Princeton's offensive struggles versus Navy pitching, Belski decided he would press the issue and challenge Born. The Princeton first baseman rounded third and headed for home where Paglialonga was waiting with the ball after a strong and straight throw home from Born beat Belski by more than two strides.

That was the best opportunity to score for the Tigers, as their two-on, two-out rally in the top of eighth inning was quickly short-circuited by Sorenson, who came out of the bullpen and retired Flynn with a swinging strike-three.

Navy looked for an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth as Robert Currie (Sr., Atlanta, Ga.) and Blue each reached safely versus Princeton's reliever Chris Giglio. Currie singled to left field to extend his 17 game streak of reaching base, while Blue collected his third walk of the second game. After the duo was sacrificed up the second and third base, Giglio eked his way out of the jam with back-to-back put outs.

Sorenson and his defense locked up the victory with a strike out and a nicely turned double play that was facilitated by Blue, who caught a bounding ball off the bat of Paul Tupper. The smooth-fielding shortstop gathered himself after Tupper's hit had deflected off of Sorenson's glove and ricocheted to his left; Blue grabbed the ball, stepped on second and fired the ball to first base to complete the double play and end the game with Navy victorious by a 1-0 score.

For the game, Princeton outhit Navy, 9-4. Currie, Blue, Born and Leland Saile (Jr., Land O'Lakes, Fla.) all recorded single hits for the Mids.

Condry earned the victory as he improved to 2-0 on the season and increased his scoreless inning streak to 14.0 straight frames dating back to his start versus Yale on March 13. His final line was 6.1 innings, six hits, no walks and five strikeouts. Bartek held over the 1-0 lead with 1.1 innings of two-hit ball before Sorenson claimed his second save of the season with 1.1 innings of one-hit action.

For the weekend, Navy outhit Princeton, .238 to .209 and outscored the Tigers, 10-4 during their 3-1 series victory. Currie recorded a team-high six hits during the series, while Blue and Wilcox each posted .600 on-base percentages. Currie and Trent tied for the team-lead with three RBIs a piece.

On the mound, the Mids' hurlers were lights out as eight of the nine pitchers that threw for Navy had 0.00 ERAs. As a staff, Navy posted a 1.12 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP and 31:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 32.0 innings pitched. Condry, George Coughlin (Jr., Arvada, Colo.) and Luke Gillingham (Sr., Coronado, Calif.) all threw six-plus innings of shutout baseball in their respective starts.

"You're always going to be happy with three shutouts during a series, but at the same time we have to pick it up offensively," remarked Kostacopoulos about the series. "We're going to have to have a good week of practice and game action because Patriot League play begins next Saturday and its very unrealistic to have three shutouts on a weekend versus a conference foe. We have a lot of work to do right now, we're going to get after it this week."

Navy will head to UMES on Wednesday in its final tune-up before conference play kicks off next Saturday at home against Holy Cross. The Mids and Hawks will meet up on Wednesday in Princess Anne, Md. for a 3 p.m. contest.