ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Senior captain Nate Mitchell registered a career-high seven strikeouts in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader, but the Navy baseball team fell to Massachusetts, 4-2, in the series opener before dropping the back half of the twinbill by a 14-3 score at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
 
Opening their 2023 season on Saturday, the visiting Minutemen shifted to 2-0 overall, while the host Midshipmen moved to 3-7 on the campaign.
 
Game One Recap
Mitchell's strong start and two hits from senior Alex Smith were not enough, as a pair of late extra-base hits for UMass proved to be the difference in the opening contest of a three-game series.
 
With Mitchell posting four-straight scoreless innings to start the game that included striking out the side in the top of the fourth, the Mids jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Navy's two-run third inning started when Smith smacked a lead-off double past the UMass first baseman and a wild pitch later three batters later allowed Smith to score the Mids' first run of the day. Junior Eduardo Diaz then drove in sophomore Ivan Aguirre on a single to left field after Aguirre was plunked earlier and advanced on the same wild pitch that Smith scored on.
 
Will MacLean tied the game in the visiting half of the fifth, knocking a double to the wall that plated Michael Toth and Ryan Coleman, and the Minutemen completed the comeback in the sixth when Carter Hanson homered to right field following a Chris Pearsons single to start the inning.
 
Jackson Harrigan closed out the final two innings for UMass, retiring all six Navy hitters he faced to earn the Minutemen their first win of 2023.
 
Leaving the game with an injury in the third inning, UMass starter Jack Steele did not factor into the decision after tossing 2.1 innings and being on the hook for both Navy runs. Dylan Terwilliger notched the win with 2.2 scoreless innings, racking up three strikeouts while allowing just two hits, and Harrigan earned the save with his two no-hit innings out of the bullpen.
 
Mitchell earned the no-decision by limiting the Minutemen to five hits and two runs over five frames, while junior right-hander Nolan Jorgenson got the loss after surrendering three hits and two runs in his inning of work before handing the ball off to fellow junior Zach Ward for the last frame.
 
Game Two Recap
UMass erupted for 14 hits in the second half of Saturday's doubleheader, as that combined with six Navy errors let the Minutemen take an early lead that they never relinquished thanks to five shutout innings from starter Taylor Perrett.
 
Junior righty Matthew Shirah was able to strand two runners in each of the first two innings, but the Navy starter was dinged for four runs in the top of the third when MacLean led off with a solo shot, while a passed ball and two bases-loaded walks later in the frame tacked on three additional runs.
 
UMass continued to score in the fourth inning when Jacob Sloss ripped a two-run, two-out double, and a fifth-inning RBI double from Mike Gervasi put the Minutemen ahead, 7-0.
 
Navy struck for three runs in the sixth, as freshman Henry Mitchell had a loud collegiate debut with a pinch-hit double to score junior Logan Keller and two-run single courtesy of junior Hudson Lehnertz moved the Mids within four runs of UMass.
 
The Minutemen answered in the next half-inning, as a three-run seventh saw RBI singles from Gervasi, Sloss and Steve Luttazi in addition to three Navy errors. UMass added four more runs in the ninth via RBI singles from Hanson and Luttazi along with another Navy error and a balk, while Mikey Jenson shut down the Mids over the final two frames despite giving up a double to Smith to start the eighth.
 
Perrett wrapped up his first win of the year with only two hits allowed in five innings while striking out three Mids, Jensen closed the game after Sam Belliveau allowed all three Navy runs in his two innings of work.
 
Shirah suffered the loss after allowing four runs on four hits and five walks in his three innings, while Tyler Grenn, Evan Hamill, Aidan Chamberlin and Zach Powers all surrendered runs in their appearances before freshman Jack Levine made his collegiate debut and recorded the last two outs.
 
Paul Kostacopoulos Postgame Comments
"I thought the first game was a good ballgame, it was a 4-2 game that was well-played on both sides. It was well-pitched until they reached base back-to-back to start the fifth inning. We had a couple of shots there that we didn't cash in on that we needed to in a tight ballgame, but it was a good game. Second game was we didn't throw enough strikes, didn't make enough plays, didn't get enough hits. It's as simple as that. We didn't play well in any phase of game two that was going to be winning baseball. So, that was kind of the story today."
 
"I think you got to shake it off and you got to get back at it. There's too many games in the season and in less than 12 hours we'll be back on the field again, We've got to shake today off, get back and play better baseball."
 
Game Notes
• The all-time series between Navy and UMass is now just 6-4 in favor of the Mids.
• Game One saw Keller's nine-game hitting streak end.
• Diaz enters Sunday's series finale on a 10-game on-base streak.
• Nate Mitchell has now gone five-or-more innings in eight of his last 11 starts.
• Nate Mitchell has not issued multiple walks in an outing since a two-walk appearance on May 8, 2021 at Army.
• Alex Smith has recorded an extra-base hit in three-straight games.
• Henry Mitchell is the second Navy freshman this season to record a hit in his first at-bat as a Mid, joining Brock Murtha.
 
Up Next
Navy closes out the series with UMass at 1:02 p.m. on Sunday, March 5. The contest will be streamed live on ESPN+.