ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy baseball (7-7) got a pair of strong starts from Noah Song (Sr., Claremont, Calif.) and Jared Leins (So., Raleigh, N.C.) on Saturday after both pitchers tossed at least seven innings each and allowing three runs combined. The Midshipmen won the first game of the doubleheader against Cornell (1-7), 2-1, but dropped an 11-inning contest to the Big Red, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon at Max Bishop Stadium.
 
Song matched his career high with 16 strikeouts in his seven-inning complete game victory in the first game but did allow his first run of the season. In game two, Leins threw 7-1/3 innings and allowed two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts.
 
"Noah [Song] was outstanding today," head coach Paul Kostacopoulos said when asked about his two starters on Saturday. "He was sharp today and after the first inning, after getting used to the mound, he was outstanding. Jared [Leins] gave us seven-plus strong innings. We had some opportunities in the second game, got off the deck after falling behind 2-0 and came back to tie it up. We had two or three chances to get it done and take the lead with a hit and we had a couple of hard-hit balls too, but it just did not happen and we are going to have to regroup for tomorrow."
 
Navy 2, Cornell 1
 
Offense was at a premium throughout the day, but the first game of the doubleheader saw a combined three runs on seven total hits. In the first inning, Cornell struck first off of a pair of hits in the inning to tag Song with his first allowed run of the year. With two outs in the inning, a single put the Big Red ahead, 1-0, after Kalani Matton was standing on third base following a wild pitch and passed ball.
 
After Navy was shutout in the first inning, the Midshipmen erased their deficit in the second stanza with two runs on three hits. Ryan Duffey (So., Duxbury, Mass.) drove in both runs in the inning with a double down the line at first base to score Jacob Williamson (Jr., Sims, N.C.) and Zach Stevens (Fr., Lexington, Mass.). Duffey was stranded at third base to end the frame, but Navy took the lead heading into the third inning of the seven-inning contest. 
 
Following the three runs in the first inning, both offenses were silenced by the pitching with no hits over the next four innings. Song had at least two strikeouts in each inning on Saturday and he did not allow Cornell to register another hit until the seventh inning. On the flip side, Cornell's pair of Luke Yacinich and John Natoli did not allow a hit after the two-run second inning.
 
In the seventh inning, the Big Red tried to rally and tie the game after recording a leadoff double followed by a walk. After a sacrifice bunt placed two runners in scoring position, Song recorded his final two strikeouts of the afternoon to seal the 2-1 victory for the Midshipmen.
 
Song (2-0) finished the day allowing the one run on three hits and two walks. He also finished with a career-best tying 16 strikeouts in his complete game win.
 
Yacinich (0-2) allowed two runs on four hits and two walks but did not record a strikeout in his 4-2/3 innings. Natoli tossed the final 1-1/3 innings and did not allow a baserunner while recording a pair of strikeouts.
 
Cornell 3, Navy 2 (11 innings)
 
After a three-run game one, both offenses continued to struggle in game two as the first six innings went by without a run. Over the first six frames, Cornell notched just one hit, which came with one out in the first inning, while Navy had one hit in the third, fifth and sixth innings.
 
In the final third of the regulation nine innings, the Big Red scored the first run of the game off of a sacrifice fly to right field. Following a close play at the plate behind a strong throw from Liam Lowery (Sr., Williamsburg, Va.), Ramon Garza slid in under the tag to put Cornell on top, 1-0. In the eighth inning, the Big Red plated another run with two outs following an RBI single and they took a 2-0 lead late in the contest.
 
Navy's offense gained some life in the bottom of the eighth inning with a pair of runs on three hits. The Midshipmen started the inning with back-to-back singles and had runners on first and third with one out. Christian Hodge (Sr., Winder, Ga.) drove in Michael Coritz (Jr., Clifton, Va.) with a sacrifice fly out to left field. During the next at-bat, Liam Lowery scored Evan Lowery (Jr., Williamsburg, Va.) from first base with two outs after a double down the left field line to tie the game, 2-2, after eight innings.
 
In the ninth inning, both teams had opportunities to gain the advantage, but Navy and Cornell both left two runners on base to send the game into extra innings. The Midshipmen had another chance in the bottom of the 10th inning with two runners aboard and one out, but a pair of fly outs ended the threat for Navy and extended the game into the 11th inning.
 
Cornell put together a two-out rally to load the bases using just one hit. The Big Red took the lead after Jason Apostle was hit by a pitch from Jack Ferguson (So., Atlanta, Ga.) to drive the go-ahead run.
 
Trailing 3-2 heading into the final half of the 11th inning, Navy went down in order and dropped a 3-2 decision to finish out the doubleheader.
 
Leins went 7-1/3 innings in the no-decision allowing two runs on three hits and struck out seven batters in his start. Ferguson (1-1) suffered the loss after allowing the one run on a hit, three walks and a hit by pitch in 2-2/3 innings.
 
Colby Wyatt started the game for Cornell and threw six scoreless innings giving up just three hits and pair of walks. Natoli (1-1) came in for the second time on the day and earned the victory after giving up one hit and two walks in 3-1/3 innings.
 
Game three of the weekend series has been pushed back to 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon as Navy and Cornell will face off in the rubber match of the series at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.