POMONA, N.Y. – Navy (16-13, 11-12 Patriot League) scored two runs in the seventh inning to force extra innings and then put up six runs in the eighth inning to come from behind and beat Army (23-20, 13-10 Patriot League), 10-5, in eight innings. The second game of the doubleheader was rained out and the Midshipmen won the Star over the Black Knights after winning two of the three games this weekend. Navy also clinched a spot in the Patriot League Tournament and will face top-seeded Lehigh next weekend in Bethlehem, Pa.
Navy's freshmen pair of
Eduardo Diaz (Miami, Fla.) and
Logan Keller (Longwood, Fla.) guided the Midshipmen late in the game as they each had three-RBI doubles in the eighth inning to help Navy to the win. Keller finished with a 2-for-4 game with four RBIs and Diaz went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Colin Smith (So., Wilmington, Del.) also had a multi-hit game after going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
"Resiliency is the best way to say it," head coach
Paul Kostacopoulos said about his team coming from behind to beat Army. "We were hitting the ball hard, but could not get a ton of runs out of it. But we had six or seven great at-bats in a row toward the end of the game. Guys refused to give in, our pitchers hung in there and gave us what they had. We doubled up with
Dalton Baker and
Trey Braithwaite from yesterday to today and they gave us everything they had. That is really what you want in an Army-Navy series and you can't ask for more.
"We have had to really push to make things happen this year. I am really proud of the guys and that we have been able to make it into the postseason. Nothing has come easy for us and the guys just did a great job. Now we have the second season and we get to start all over again," Kostacopoulos commented about moving on to the Patriot League Tournament.
For the third-straight game of the weekend, Navy scored the first runs of the game with a two-run second inning. With one out, Keller and
Nico Valdez (Jr., Stevenson Ranch, Calif.) delivered back-to-back singles and
Colin Smith drove in the Midshipmen's first run of the game with an RBI single down the right-field line. Still with two runners on and one out,
Alex Smith (So., Laguna Hills, Calif.) put Navy ahead by two runs with an RBI on a fielder's choice. Navy tried to turn an Army error into more runs, but it stranded two runners on base to end the inning.
The Midshipmen took their two-run lead into the third inning but Army pushed across two runs on three hits to tie the game at two after three innings. The Black Knights scored the next two runs of the game with a run in the fourth inning followed by a run in the fifth inning to grab a 4-2 lead.
Navy threatened in the sixth inning with two runners on base with two outs, but the Midshipmen were unable to cut into their deficit.
In the seventh inning, Army got the first out of the inning right off the bat, but the top of the Navy lineup got its rally going.
Zane Raba (Fr., San Antonio, Texas) and Diaz both sent singles out to left field to get the tying run on base.
Christian Policelli (Jr., Walkersville, Md.) stretched his streak of reaching base safely to 25-straight games after he worked a walk to load the bases. Still, with one out in the inning,
Zach Stevens (Jr., Lexington, Mass.) chopped a ball just in front of home plate and as Army tried to go home to get the lead runner the ball got away from a diving Teddy Lepcio on the mound and everyone was safe.
Trailing by a run in the seventh inning with the bases still loaded, Keller drove in his first run of the game with a sacrifice fly out to centerfield to tie the game at four. A passed ball placed two runners in scoring position with two outs in the seventh inning but the Midshipmen could not break the draw.
During the home half of the seventh inning,
Dalton Baker (Jr., Sebring, Fla.) worked a 1-2-3 inning to keep the game tied and moved the contest into extra innings with game one of the scheduled doubleheader slated for seven innings.
Navy's offense kept rolling in the eighth inning and scored six runs on five hits against the Army bullpen. The offense for the Midshipmen got rolling once again with one out in the inning.
Alex Smith and
Joe Simourian (Jr., Andover, Mass.) both singled and after a pitching change, Raba loaded the bases with a walk. Diaz put Navy ahead with a double out to left-center field that cleared the bases and Navy held a 7-4 advantage. For the second time in the inning, the Midshipmen loaded the bases following a single from Policelli and a walk by Stevens. Keller broke the game open for Navy with a three-RBI double to the gap in left-center field to put Navy ahead, 10-4. The three-RBI single also put Keller atop the Patriot League in RBIs with 32 on the season in just 29 games.
Army did not go away quietly in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Black Knights scored a run with two outs in the inning and then loaded bases to put the tying run on deck. However,
Trey Braithwaite (Sr., Winchester, Va.) struck out Army's cleanup hitter, Nick Manesis, to secure the win, 10-5.
The two teams were slated to finish the series with a nine-inning game after the opening game of the day, but the contest was canceled due to rain, and Navy won the weekend series and the Star after winning two of the three games this weekend.
Baker grabbed the win for the Midshipmen after throwing three innings and allowing one run on two hits.
Tommy Goodridge (Sr., San Diego, Calif.) went four innings and allowed three runs where he finished with a game-high four punchouts.
Tanner Gresham suffered the loss after allowing six runs on four hits and two walks in an inning of work.
Navy now enters the Patriot League Tournament as the No. 4 seed and will take on No. 1-seeded Lehigh on Saturday and Sunday next weekend in Bethlehem, Pa., in a best-of-three series during the semifinals of the tournament.
