ANNAPOLIS, Md. – After Navy (7-8) rallied with a three-run fifth inning to take a one-run lead over UMass (3-4-1), the Minutemen responded with a comeback of their own, scoring a run in the seventh and then another in the eighth to take a lead it wouldn't relinquish, 4-3, over the Midshipmen Tuesday at Max Bishop Stadium.
 
Christian Policelli (Sr., Walkersville, Md.) continued his hot hitting on Tuesday, going 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored to lead Navy at the plate. Logan Keller (So., Longwood, Fla.) tallied his first home run of the season, a two-run shot, in a 1-for-4 showing.
 
Rounding out the top performers on offense for the Mids was Hudson Lehnertz (So., Santa Ana, Calif.) who went 1-for-2 with a double after entering the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth.
 
"Again, it was a 4-3 type ball game where we had a couple of chances, but we couldn't get them across," said head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "That was a pivotal point in the game when you really think about it, those couple opportunities, we set ourselves up and just didn't capitalize. It was a well-played game but we've got to figure out a way to get those guys in. We'll continue to work on it, we've just got to do it in a game."
 
Navy used nine pitchers against the Minutemen, beginning with Reece Early (So., Reistertown, Md.) who went two innings, allowing two runs on three hits while walking a batter and recording a strikeout. The trio of Nolan Jorgenson (So., Eastvale, Calif.), Colin Jones (Sr., Collierville, Tenn.) and Trent Topping (Sr., Temecula, Calif.) highlighted the Navy pitching effort, combining for four scoreless innings.
 
"I think we scripted the game pretty well today," Kostacopoulos said of the Mids' pitching effort. "Everyone got in, we wanted a staff day before we started. We ran into a couple of guys that struggled to throw strikes, but even then we got out of it without much damage. We just have to keep continuing to progress, we start Patriot League play this weekend, so we have to keep the mindset that we have to keep getting better."
 
UMass opened the contest's scoring in the visitor's half of the second, tallying two runs on three hits against Early to take its first lead of the day at 2-0.
 
The two-run deficit would remain for the Midshipmen through the next two innings, as Minutemen starting pitcher Tyler Dalton limited Navy to just three hits and stranded five runners on base. However, in the fifth, the Mids struck with three runs on two hits to take a 3-2 lead, including an RBI double by Policelli that was followed by a two-run home run by Keller.
 
In the seventh, the Minutemen responded to the Navy rally, bringing home a run on a two-out, infield single to tie the score at 3-3. In the home half of the frame, the Mids put runners on second and third with just one out, but were unable to push across the go-ahead run heading into the eighth.
 
Following the failed rally attempt by the Midshipmen, UMass regained the lead at 4-3 on a run-scoring ground rule double, before Navy reliever Landon Kruer (Fr., Sellersburg, Ind.) was able to work out of the inning without further damage.
 
The one-run advantage would prove to be enough for the Minutemen, as reliever Jack Pawloski came on to retire six of the seven batters he faced over the final two innings of work, earning his first save of the season and locking down a 4-3 victory for UMass.
 
The trio of Mike Gervasi, Dylan Judd and Nolan Tichy led the way for the Minutemen on offense, with each of the three tallying two hits apiece. Reliever Zach Clevenger (1-0) earned the win after going 1.2 innings, in which didn't allow a hit and struck out two batters.
 
Owen Beisty (Fr., Wayne, Pa.) (0-2) took the loss for the Mids after allowing the go-ahead run and yielding two walks in a third of an inning.
 
UP NEXT
Navy is slated to return to action 1 p.m. Friday as it travels to Lewisburg to begin a four-game Patriot League series against Bucknell. The Mids will square off against the Bison for a single game on Friday, followed by a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon before the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.