WILMINGTON, N.C. – Junior right-hander Matthew Shirah was able to hold host UNCW to just two unearned runs in a 4.2-inning start, but the Navy baseball team could not get its offense going on Saturday night, as the Seahawks shut out the Midshipmen, 8-0, to close out the second day of the Hughes Bros. Challenge at Brooks Field in Wilmington, North Carolina.
 
Led starter Jacob Shafer's seven innings of five-hit ball, UNCW improved to 2-0 on the young season, while the Mids shifted to 0-2 overall. Offensively, Alec DeMartino (3-for-3) and Trevor Marsh (2-for-5) led the Seahawk hitters with two RBI apiece, as Marsh collected a home run and a double in back-to-back innings, while freshman Brock Murtha wrapped his second game in a Navy uniform by tallying a pair of singles on the evening.
 
Navy threatened early when seniors Nick Burch and Colin Smith both reached base to start the game, but a lineout double play followed by a fielder's choice allowed Shafer to escape the jam. Shafer's offense got him some support in the bottom of the first, as Ron Evans and Alec DeMartino both tallied RBI singles to give the Seahawks a 2-0 lead.
 
Shirah and the Navy defense kept the game close by retiring the side in the second and third innings, and worked out of trouble in the fourth before turning the ball over to senior Reece Early with two away in the fifth.
 
UNCW was able to extend the lead in the sixth when Trevor Marsh lined a solo shot to right field, while John Newton put a RBI single through the right side a few batters later and the next batter, Kevin Pitarra, drove in another run with a bunt single.
 
Marsh then tripled in the seventh, later scoring on a DeMartino double, while DeMartino came across on a Tanner Thach single one batter later and Pitarro plated Thach with another single down the left-field line.
 
Navy almost broke into the run column in the top of the ninth, as a trio of singles loaded the bases, but UNCW's Mason Murdock induced a game-ending double play to secure the Seahawk shutout.
 
Despite his strong start that saw him issue only five hits and one walk while striking out two UNCW batters, Shirah was handed his first loss of the season, while Shafer got the win after recording career highs with seven innings and eight strikeouts. Out of the bullpen, UNCW's Luke Craig and Murdock both completed scoreless frames with a strikeout each, while Navy rookie Jackson Beattie made his collegiate debut, allowing two hits and striking out one Seahawk in 1.2 innings.
 
Head Coach Paul Kostacopoulos Post-Game Comments
"I thought the biggest takeaway was Matt Shirah's start. He went four and two-thirds and then Reece Early came in to finish off the fifth, so it was a 2-0 ballgame after five innings. I thought Matt really had a quality started. He really looked under control of what he was doing and worked out of a tough first inning with a very good defensive play from Murtha to get out of that. I also like what Jackson did, he came in as a freshman and he didn't look uncomfortable at all, he did a nice job for us. So those are the two things that kind of stood out to me."
 
"I didn't think we skipped a beat back there behind the plate with a plebe in Mac McCommons. He received the ball well, you didn't see a ball go back to the backstop, he blocked everything, he received everything. I thought he did a really good job for the first time out. That's role for a freshman to come out and do that, so I think that was that was another good takeaway."
 
"I think that it is really important for Brock to get off to this good start in the sense that he hasn't played for a couple years competitively and I think this is really good for him. we hope to that it continues."
 
Game Notes
• Juniors Logan Keller and Eduardo Diaz started their 79th and 72nd consecutive games for Navy, respectively.
• Burch saw a nine-game hitting streak snapped.
• This marked Shirah's second start of 4-or-more innings without an earned run surrendered (last: April 24, 2023 at Army)
• Shirah has posted multiple strikeouts in five-straight starts dating back to last season.
 
Up Next
Navy closes out the Hughes Bros. Challenge on Sunday morning, with first pitch against Ohio scheduled for 11 a.m. from Brooks Field.