PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – The Navy baseball team (9-7) started its two-game stretch against Villanova (3-12) with a 5-1 victory on Tuesday afternoon at Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.
 
Jacob Williamson (Jr., Sims, N.C.) went 2-for-4 at the plate for the Midshipmen, while the duo of Zach Biggers (Jr., Walhalla, S.C.) and Zach Stevens (Fr., Lexington, Mass.) had a pair of two-RBI games for Navy. The Midshipmen pitching staff also combined for 11 strikeouts and had a stretch of 15-straight batters retired in the contest.
 
"We went into the game knowing it was going to be a staff day so we knew Charlie [Connolly] was only going to go two or three innings," head coach Paul Kostacopoulos commented about his pitching staff. "Charlie did a solid job and I was really happy with Dalton Baker. He had not pitched in a while and found the strike zone and did a good job. Jackson Zoch was outstanding today and Sante [Grossi] came in and did his job with runners on second and third no outs and he got three outs. It was really a complete job by the pitching staff.
 
"You really had to be here to get a feel for how big a factor the wind was," Kostacopoulos commented about his offense handling the conditions. "We did a good job of moving runners up today. We moved guys two different times and got big hits and that is what we have to do when we have six or seven hits in a game. The last couple games we scored five runs with those six or seven hits and we have to continue to do that."
 
Villanova grabbed a 1-0 lead over Navy in the second inning following a run on two hits in the inning. With two runners on base and no outs, Charlie Connolly (So., Wayne, Pa.) allowed just one run to score and stranded runners on the corner to finish the second inning.
 
In the top of the third inning, Biggers evened the score for the Midshipmen with a two-RBI single in the frame. With back-to-back walks to start the inning, Michael Coritz (Jr., Clifton, Va.) moved both runners up a base with a sacrifice bunt. Biggers then delivered a the one-out hit that scored Ryan Duffey (So., Duxbury, Mass.) and Evan Lowery (Jr., Williamsburg, Va.). Biggers then moved into scoring position after an error by the left fielder on the single. Navy was unable to grab an insurance run and Biggers was stranded at third base.
 
After a pair of scoreless frames, the Midshipmen grabbed the insurance runs in the sixth inning with three runs on a pair of hits in the top of the inning. Liam Lowery (Sr., Williamsburg, Va.) reached on a walk to start the inning and Christian Hodge (Sr., Winder, Ga.) bunted him over to second base with a sacrifice bunt, but Hodge also reached base after an error from the Wildcats. 
 
Williamson doubled to left-center field to score Liam Lowery from second base and doubled the Navy lead. Stevens singled back up the middle and plated two more runs for the Midshipmen to extend their lead to 5-1.
 
On the mound, the Navy pitching staff settled in after allowing a run and four hits in the first three innings and retired 15-straight batters to keep the Midshipmen ahead by four runs. 
 
In the final half inning, Villanova got two runners in scoring position with no outs looking to rally. However, Sante Grossi (So., Riverside, Calif.) shut down the comeback attempt with three-straight outs to seal Navy's 5-1 victory.
 
Connolly tossed two innings in the start and allowed a run on two hits while striking out three batters. Dalton Baker (Fr., Sebring, Fla.) tossed three innings of shutout ball allowing two hits and notching two strikeouts.
 
Jackson Zoch (Sr., San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) moved to 2-0 on the season with six strikeouts in three innings, where he did not allow a run. Grossi earned his first save of the season after retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning.
 
Jake Esp (0-2) suffered the loss for the Wildcats allowing a run on a hit and two walks in three innings of work out of the bullpen.
 
Navy is back in action on Wednesday afternoon against Villanova at 3 p.m. from Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth in Plymouth Meeting, Pa.