POMONA, N.Y. – Navy (15-13, 10-12 Patriot League) scored its first six runs of game two off of home runs but with the scored tied a six late in the game, the Midshipmen scored two runs in the eighth inning to upend Army (23-19, 15-9 Patriot League) in the second half of Saturday's doubleheader, 8-7. The Black Knights took the opening game at Palisades Credit Union Park, 6-1.
 
Zach Stevens (Jr., Lexington, Mass.) finished the day with three hits with both of his hits in game two going over the left-field wall. Stevens and Joe Simourian (Jr., Andover, Mass.) each finished with three RBIs on the day with Simourian belting a three-run home run in the second game of the day.
 
Following the results of Saturday's other two Patriot League series, where Lehigh beat Holy Cross twice and Lafayette won two games against Bucknell, Navy holds on to the fourth spot in the league standings. Lehigh moves up to the top of the standings with Army in second and Lafayette in third. Bucknell remains fifth and Holy Cross is sixth and has been eliminated from postseason contention.
 
"Our offense really came from three swings early on in the second game with the three home runs," head coach Paul Kostacopoulos said. "The top of the eighth inning was huge for us to push across the two runs with two outs. Nico Valdez got a big hit and Colin Smith got a big hit and in the end, they both mattered with it ending 8-7.
 
"I think that has been a little bit of the storyline all year," Kostacopoulos mentioned about the resilience of his team late in the game. "We have always had to battle and we have had to play the whole game on offense and never being able to sit back on offense. The first game was a good ballgame with it being 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth until they broke it open. For us to come back and win the second game, that was a good win, and we have two more games tomorrow."
 
Army 6, Navy 1
 
Following back-to-back scoreless innings of the pitcher's duel, the Midshipmen loaded the bases with one out in the third inning and Christian Policelli (Jr., Walkersville, Md.) was hit by a pitch to bring Navy's first run of the game en route to taking the 1-0 lead. The Midshipmen could only push one run across as they left bases loaded to end the inning.
 
Army tied the game in the bottom of the third inning as a leadoff single – which was its first hit of the game – came around to score following a wild pitch, stolen base and a groundout just two pitches after the hit.
 
Neither starting pitcher budged as the game remained tied at one through five innings of play. After the Midshipmen got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning, they loaded the bases in the top of the sixth inning but could not bring in a run. Army got to the Navy bullpen with five runs on five hits in the bottom of the sixth inning to take the opening game of the weekend series, 6-1.
 
Dalton Baker (Jr., Sebring, Fla.) suffered the loss after allowing three runs on one hit and two walks in an inning of work. Charlie Connolly (Sr., Wayne, Pa.) tossed 4-1/3 innings in the start allowing one run on two hits and four walks.
 
Anthony Loricco picked up the win for the Black Knights where he allowed one run on five hits and two walks in 6-1/3 innings. Loricco also struck out 12 batters.
 
Navy 8, Army 7
 
For the second time on the day, Navy got ahead early this time with Stevens belting a leadoff home run to start the second inning to put the Midshipmen ahead, 1-0. However, in the third inning Army tied the game at one following a wild pitch with two outs in the inning.
 
With the game tied at one, Stevens launched his second home run of the game with one out in the fourth inning. Stevens' second long ball of the game was a two-run shot as Navy grabbed a 3-1 lead. The home run ball came back around for the Midshipmen with Simourian hitting a three-run home run over the wall in right field to give Navy a 6-1 advantage.
 
Army countered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and after Nate Mitchell (So., Parker, Colo.) retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth innings, the Black Knights tied the game in the seventh inning with two runs on three hits.
 
After relinquishing the lead, the Midshipmen battled back with two runs of their own in the eighth inning. Nico Valdez (Jr., Stevenson Ranch, Calif.) and Colin Smith (So., Wilmington, Del.) each delivered two-out RBI singles to plate Navy's two runs in the inning to give it the two-run lead late in the game.
 
Over the final two Army at-bats, the Black Knights tried to work their way back in front but they left two runners on base to end the eighth inning. Then in the ninth inning, Army had two runners in scoring position with no outs but Trey Braithwaite (Sr., Winchester, Va.) struck out two of the final hitters limiting the Black Knights to just one run and Braithwaite secured Navy's 8-7 win the second half of the doubleheader.
 
Braithwaite earned the win for the Midshipmen after throwing the final three innings allowing one run on four hits and he finished with a game-high four strikeouts.
 
Brian Dawson was tagged with the loss for Army after allowing two unearned runs on one hit in 2-2/3 innings.
 
Army and Navy finish out the series and the Patriot League regular season on Sunday with two more games from Palisades Credit Union Park in Pomona, N.Y. Game one of the doubleheader starts at 2:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network with game two following at 5 p.m. on ESPN+.