WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Navy baseball team (16-8, 5-1 Patriot League) split its doubleheader at Army (12-11, 2-2 Patriot League) on Sunday afternoon. The Midshipmen won the first game, 5-2, and their rally fell short in game two and dropped a 5-2 decision to finish out the day.
 
Navy tallied three home runs over the two games and Evan Lowery (Jr., Williamsburg, Va.) notched a pair of RBIs, which was highlighted by a 3-for-3 game to start the day. Noah Song (Sr., Claremont, Calif.) tossed a two-hit complete game to post his third-straight victory and third-straight complete game. He also fanned 13 batters to record double-digit strikeouts in all six starts this season. 
 
Navy 5, Army 2
 
In the first game of the doubleheader, the Midshipmen fell behind early after Anthony Giachin belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to give the Black Knights a 2-0 advantage.
 
Navy's deficit did not last long as they plated three runs on just one hit in the top of the second inning to grab a one-run lead. Jacob Williamson (Jr., Sims, N.C.) started the frame with a single just inside the first-base bag. Zach Stevens (Fr., Lexington, Mass.) then reached after being hit by a pitch to place two runners on base. With no outs, Matthew Wilcox (Sr., Los Gatos, Calif.) attempted a sacrifice bunt and he reached base following a throwing error by Daniel Burggraaf. The error also brought in one run and placed two runners in scoring position.
 
Still with no outs in the second inning, the Midshipmen tied the game on a passed ball that allowed Stevens to score from third base. Evan Lowery recorded his nation-leading seventh sacrifice fly to plate Wilcox and give Navy a 3-2 lead to end the second inning.
 
After giving up two runs in the first inning, Song settled in and allowed just one hit over the final six innings and did not give up a hit in the final five frames. Song had a stretch of 14 of 15 batters retired and the one batter who reached base was retired on a pickoff. During that stretch, Song retired 11 straight batters with seven strikeouts.
 
The Midshipmen used the long ball to create some separation down the stretch. In the top of the third inning, Christian Hodge (Sr., Winder, Ga.) belted a solo home run with one out to double the Navy lead, 4-2. 
 
Looking for some insurance runs late in the game, Williamson hit his team-leading fourth home run of the season to give the Midshipmen a 5-2 lead in the sixth inning.
 
Army got a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh inning looking to rally late, but Song closed the door on the Black Knights and went the distance in the 5-2 victory for Navy.
 
Song (4-0) struck out 13 batters in his seven innings while allowing two hits and three walks. With the 13 strikeouts on Sunday, Song moves his career total to 345 and is just two strikeouts behind Chuck Davis atop the career strikeouts list in program history.
 
Burggraaf (0-2) went all seven innings in the loss allowing seven hits, five runs – three earned – and two walks.
 
"We had some big hits to manufacture our first three runs and then we had a couple of home runs from Christian Hodge and Jacob Williamson," head coach Paul Kostacopoulos mentioned about game one. "Noah [Song] was Noah. Anthony Giachin hit a changeup, but he struck out 13 guys and in a seven-inning game you do not have to handle the ball that much. He was solid for us today."
 
Army 5, Navy 2
 
The Midshipmen had warning-track power at the start of game two with Liam Lowery (Sr., Williamsburg, Va.) sending a drive to the wall in the left-center field gap that ended the first inning. At the start of the second inning, Hodge was looking for his second home run of the day, but his fly ball was caught on the warning track.
 
Army's offense got going in the second inning with four runs on four hits as the Black Knights grabbed an early 4-0 lead in the second game of the day.
 
After falling behind, Navy answered back with a run in the top of the third inning to cut into its deficit. Ryan Duffey (So., Duxbury, Mass.) doubled to the gap in left-center field and moved up to third base on a wild pitch. Evan Lowery drove in Navy's first run of the game on a groundout to first base as the Midshipmen made it a 4-1 game in the third inning.
 
Following the four-run inning, Jared Leins (So., Raleigh, N.C.) found his groove on the mound and retired 12 of 13 batters with six strikeouts and no hits.
 
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Army grabbed another insurance run to increase its lead to 5-1.
 
Navy tried to rally in the eighth inning, with back-to-back singles from Michael Coritz (Jr., Clifton, Va.) and Zach Biggers (Jr., Walhalla, S.C.), but the pair were stranded to end the inning and Army continued to lead by four runs. 
 
Stevens started a rally in the ninth inning with solo home run to leadoff the stanza and made it a three-run game. The Midshipmen did not go down quietly as they loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the ninth inning. However, Army was able to get out of the jam and seal a 5-2 victory to split the doubleheader.
 
In the loss, Leins (1-1) tossed six innings giving up four runs on six hits and three walks. Leins finished his outing with seven strikeouts – all coming in his final four innings.
 
Sam Messina (3-2) went seven innings and surrendered one run on four hits while recording five strikeouts. 
 
"[Sam] Messina did well and played seven solid innings of baseball and we did not compete as well as we should have at the plate and he got on a roll. We got a good charge at the end. We got a home run and then bases loaded no outs, but we do not pick up the hit, so credit to Cam Opp.
 
"Overall, it was two well-played games and we have to move on to Holy Cross tomorrow."
 
Navy is back in action on Monday afternoon at Holy Cross with a doubleheader starting at noon in Worcester, Mass.