EASTON, Pa. – Navy baseball (21-9, 9-2 Patriot League) completed the weekend sweep in a high-scoring affair on Sunday where the Midshipmen upended Lafayette (7-18, 3-4 Patriot League), 11-9, at Kamine Stadium.
 
The two teams combined for 32 hits in the game and Navy tallied double-digit runs in each game of the series to finish with 45 runs scored over the weekend. Christian Hodge (Sr., Winder, Ga.) notched three more RBIs on Sunday to run his weekend total to 12 and Joe Simourian (Fr., Andover, Mass.) finished with a team-high three hits in four at-bats.
 
"We competed and gave ourselves a chance in just about every at-bat," head coach Paul Kostacopoulos said after the game. "With conditions like we had today with the wind blowing it gives you an opportunity to score and I give our guys a lot of credit.
 
"Today was a hard-fought game and I give Lafayette a lot of credit, they played really hard. It was back-and-forth and they never went away. We had to keep battling and I thought we showed a lot of resilience today and that was probably the best win of the weekend."
 
For the third time in the series, the Midshipmen jumped out to an early lead with a run in the first inning. Navy took advantage of a one-out error, which allowed Hodge to drive in Michael Coritz (Jr., Clifton, Va.) in the top of the first inning.
 
With the 1-0 lead, the Midshipmen tacked on two more runs in the second inning to take a three-run lead. Simourian singled to right field bringing home Zach Stevens (Fr., Lexington, Mass.). Then, Evan Lowery (Jr., Williamsburg, Va.) hit is nation-leading ninth sacrifice fly of the season to score Christian Policelli (Fr., Walkersville, Md.) and give Navy a 3-0 edge.
 
After being held without a run in the third inning, Navy plated two more runs in the fourth inning. Registering just one hit in the frame, Stevens and Simourian came around to score to push the Midshipmen ahead, 5-0.
 
Navy's lead was extinguished in the home half of the fourth inning after the Leopards tallied five runs on six hits in the stanza to square the game at five.
 
In the sixth inning, the Midshipmen broke the five-all deadlock with three runs. With runners on first and third, Coritz laid down a bunt and drove in Simourian to regain the lead for Navy. Coritz also reached on the bunt after the Leopards were late to cover first base. 
 
The Midshipmen had runners on the corners once again – this time with two outs – and Hodge drilled a ball off the third base bag that trickled into foul territory down the line in left field. Evan Lowery scored from third base and Zach Biggers (Jr., Walhalla, S.C.) was able to score all the way from first base on the play. Lafayette limited the damage in the sixth inning as Navy grabbed an 8-5 lead.
 
A couple of insurance runs came across for the Midshipmen in the top of the seventh inning. Biggers delivered a bases-loaded single up the middle with two outs to extend Navy's lead to 10-5 in the final portion of the game. 
 
Lafayette did not go away as they answered with a three-run seventh inning to cut Navy's lead to two runs heading into the final two innings of the game. 
 
Navy mounted a two-out rally in the eighth inning, which started with a double from Stevens. Policelli reached on an infield single to place runners on the corners and Stevens scored on a wild pitch to extend Navy's advantage to 11-8.
 
The momentum continued to hang in the balance as the Leopards loaded the bases with no outs. However, Trey Braithwaite (So., Winchester, Va.) came in an only surrender a run off of a fielder's choice to keep the Midshipmen ahead by two runs.
 
Lafayette threatened in the ninth inning with runners on the corners, but Braithwaite held the Leopards at bay to seal the win, 11-9, and the weekend sweep for the Midshipmen.
 
Charlie Connolly (So., Wayne, Pa.) went 3-2/3 innings allowing five runs – four earned – on eight hits and walk. In his start, Connolly recorded three strikeouts. 
 
Tommy Goodridge (So., San Diego, Calif.) moves to 2-0 on the season after throwing 2-1/3 innings allowing three runs on three hits. Braithwaite grabbed his third save of the season. He allowed just two hits in his two innings of work where he struck out a pair.
 
In the no-decision, Brett Kreyer went five innings allowing five runs – two earned. Kreyer posted five strikeouts but walked four and gave up five hits. Andrew Marra (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in 2/3 innings of work.
 
Navy is back at home on Tuesday afternoon to face Coppin State at 3 p.m. to play its first of two midweek games.