Box Score March 25, 2018 Box Score-G1 | Box Score-G2
BALTIMORE - Competing on national television versus a service academy rival and in a Major League ballpark, the scene was set for an epic day for the Navy baseball team on Sunday. Playing in front of over 3,200 fans at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Navy battled with Army over 19 innings in a Patriot League doubleheader that saw the Black Knights (11-12, 4-0 PL) come away with a pair of victories. Army defeated Navy in 10 innings in game one by a score of 5-3 before they earned the sweep of the Mids (18-8, 4-4 PL) with an 8-2 win in game two.
The Mids used slick middle infield defense and clutch two-out hitting in a snowy game one to fight back and force extra innings after trailing 3-1 through five. In the second contest, the Black Knights jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the top of the fourth and never looked back in a wire-to-wire victory.
"That first game was a great collegiate game and competitive throughout," exclaimed head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "We battled the whole game, but unfortunately didn't come out on top.
"In the second game, they just got on our starting pitching and we had to go up hill the rest of the way. Coming from behind in game four of a weekend series is difficult enough, but trailing by five is real tough. It's one of those days and we'll have to bounce back beginning on Wednesday. We have another Patriot League series in six days so we have to start the week over again and be ready."
Individual leaders for the Mids in the twinbill, included Zach Biggers (So., Walhalla, S.C.) and Logan Knowles (Sr., Port Orchard, Wash.) on offense and Andrew Sauer (Jr., Johns Creek, Ga.) and Colin Brady (Sr., Seneca, S.C.) on the mound. Biggers led Navy with a team-high three hits over the doubleheader with two key two-out RBIs in game one. Knowles scored Navy's game-tying run in game one and reached base two other times via walks for a .375 on-base percentage.
As the game one starter, Sauer hurled 6.0 innings of four-hit ball. The junior right-hander struck out two and was charged with three runs in his outing though, only one was earned. Brady left his mark on the game with three shutout innings of two-hit relief. The sidearmer struck out three Black Knights.
Game One: Army 5 - Navy 3 (10 innings)
Faced with an early 11 a.m. start for the CBS Sports Network broadcast and temperatures hovering in the mid-30's, offense was a bit hard to come by in the early innings of game one on Sunday. The opening two frames saw each team go scoreless with just a single base on balls credited to each of their stat lines.
Army's offense began to thaw out in the top of the third as the Black Knights loaded the bases with one out on Sauer and the Midshipmen. Navy's middle infield answered the call and came through with a slickly turned 4-6-3 double play by Biggers, Michael Coritz (So., Clifton, Va.) and Christian Hodge (Jr., Winder, Ga.) to end the threat.
Energized by the inning-ending defensive play, the Mids came out in the bottom of the third and broke through onto the scoreboard with a single run. Coritz got the rally going with a one-out single through the right side of the infield. After Knowles sacrificed him into scoring position, Coritz scored two batters later when Biggers shot a line drive into right field.
The 1-0 margin didn't last long for the Mids though as the Black Knights immediately responded in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs. The damage in the fourth could have been worse if not for another inning-ending double play turned by Navy's middle infield duo of Biggers and Coritz.
With the score 2-1, Army tacked on a third run in the top of the fifth inning.
Trailing by two runs with just two at bats in regulation to go, Navy started its comeback in the bottom of the sixth. Biggers led off the stanza with a double down the right field line. Four batters later and faced with a two-out situation, Liam Lowery (Jr., Williamsburg, Va.) came through with a clutch RBI single to left field to drive in Biggers.
After Sauer exited with a final line of 6.0 innings, four hits, three runs (one earned), three walks and two strikeouts over 113 pitches it was up to Brady to hold Army at bay beginning in the seventh. The senior sidearmer's appearance wasn't without some hijinx as Mother Nature graced Oriole Park at Camden Yards with a minute snow shower that turned into a significant, swirling snowsquall with near white-out conditions that forced the teams off the field and into their respective clubhouses. After a 23-minute delay, Brady was finally ready to face his first batter and quickly dispatched of the Black Knights in order with two straight strikeouts and a soft ground ball back to the mound.
Down 3-2 going into the bottom of the seventh, another double sparked the Mids' offense as Knowles stroked a one-out double down the left field line. Following a fly out that advanced Knowles to third for out number two, Biggers answered the call for some more Navy heroics as he legged out an infield single to allow Knowles to race home and tie the game.
Tied at 3-3 through seven innings of the predetermined seven-inning game, Navy was off to compete in its second extra-inning contest in as many days. Both Brady and Cam Opp, the Black Knights' first reliever posted zeroes in each of the eighth and ninth innings. Brady was helped significantly by his defense in the top of the ninth as Evan Lowery (So., Williamsburg, Va.) ranged deep to the warning track on a Josh White fly and caught the ball before crashing into the wall. Now playing catcher, Hodge showcased his arm strength in the final out of the ninth as he cut down Anfernee Crompton on an attempted steal of second base.
In the top of the 10th inning, Army came out swinging and found early success versus the newly-inserted Navy reliever Sante Grossi (Fr., Riverside, Calif.) with three hits resulting in two runs.
Navy was unable to recoup those two runs and were felled by a final score of 5-3.
In the game, Army outhit Navy, 9-8. Biggers recorded a game-high three hits as he went 3-for-5 with one run scored and two RBIs.
Grossi was saddled with the loss and dropped to 1-1 in 2018.
Game Two: Army 8 - Navy 2
The second game on Sunday started with a familiar pacing as both Army and Navy were held scoreless over the first two innings. The Mids' starting pitcher Tommy Goodridge (Fr., San Diego, Calif.) was dominant out of the gates with a six-pitch first inning and an eight-pitch second inning.
The Black Knights solved Goodridge beginning in the top of the third as the visitors tagged the freshman right-hander for four runs on five hits and walk. They quickly expanded their four-run lead to five in the top of the fourth with an additional run.
Down 5-0, the Mids started chipping away at their deficit with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Walks to Stephen Born (Sr., Strafford, Pa.) and Jacob Williamson (So., Sims, N.C.) got Navy's offense going. After a wild pitch advanced both a base, Hodge drove them both in with a two-out single to left field.
In the ensuing inning, Navy was inches away from cutting two more runs off of Army's lead as Born was robbed of an extra-base hit by the Black Knights' centerfielder Jacob Hurtubise. With two runners on base, Born got a hold of a pitch and launched it deep to centerfield and forced Hurtubise to turn, sprint back and extend his glove at the last moment to snare the ball.
Neither team's offense gathered much traction over the middle innings as Trey Seabrooke (So., Jacksonville, Fla.) came out of the bullpen for the Mids and retired nine of nine Black Knights in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Unfortunately for Navy the team was unable to get any closer on the scoreboard than 5-2.
Army added three insurance runs in the top of the eighth to send the score final at 8-2.
Of note, Navy's final reliever, Charlie Connolly (Fr., Wayne, Pa.) struck out the side in the top of the ninth with two swinging strikeouts and a third looking.
For the game, Army outhit Navy, 13-3.
Goodridge took the loss for the Mids as he exited after 3.1 innings. He allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk.
Sunday's doubleheader at Camden Yards were the first games in a Major League Baseball ballpark for Navy since April 23. 2006 when the Mids and Black Knights went head-to-head in a twinbill that was also played at Camden Yards.
"This was a great experience," remarked Kostacopoulos. "The graciousness of the Orioles organization allowing us to come here and play isn't lost on anyone even with the outcome of today's doubleheader. These are memories that will last a lifetime for these players."
Navy will get a short break from Patriot League play with a Wednesday non-conference game versus Coppin State. The Mids and Eagles are scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. first pitch at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
