SALISBURY, Md. – Six Midshipmen registered multi-hit contests in an offensive explosion, as the Navy baseball team (18-16) utilized a 12-run seventh inning to defeat Maryland Eastern Shore (9-22) by an 18-11 score on Wednesday afternoon at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex in Salisbury, Md.
Led by the trio of
Nick Burch,
Logan Keller and
Kyle Rausch all tallying four-hit, four-RBI performances, the Mids collected 21 hits on Wednesday and scored 17 of their 18 runs in a two-inning span late in the game to pull off the come-from-behind win.
Navy nearly took a first-inning lead before stranding runner at the corners, and the Hawks took advantage of that in the bottom of the frame when Dillon Oxyer hit an opposite-field solo home run to give Eastern Shore the 1-0 lead.
Keller got the Mids on the board in the top of the third when he singled home
Alex Smith, but UMES got two runs in the home half of the inning and Brian Cordell's run-scoring single in the fourth inning increased the Hawks' lead to 4-1. Riley Horner capped off a three-run fifth inning for Eastern Shore with a two-run single, as the UMES advantage grew to 7-1.
Down to its last nine outs, the Navy offense erupted in the seventh as Rausch alone tallied two extra-base hits and four RBI in the frame. A pair of walks set up Smith to drive in
Ivan Aguirre on a one-out single, as Rausch followed with a double that plated two runs and a Keller double drove Rausch in, while
Brock Murtha lined a single into centerfield that scored Keller. Another walk and a strikeout brought up Burch, who singled in the tying and go-ahead runs before a
Zane Raba single and an error on a Smith grounder made it 11-7 in Navy's favor. Rausch then capped off the crooked frame by belting a homer into the trees past left field, plating Smith and himself to extend the Navy edge further.
After
Tyler Grenn went back out for another inning on the mound and retired the side in the bottom of the seventh, the Mids tacked on five more runs in the eighth. Another bases-loaded, two-run single from Burch kickstarted the frame, while Raba doubled home Aguirre and Keller later smacked a single that scored Smith and Raba for the final Navy runs of the afternoon.
Down 18-7, the Hawks tried to climb back into it during the bottom of the eighth with an Oxyer RBI double and an RBI single from Alex McCoy, but
Adyn Lucero entered to get the final out of the inning and end the UMES rally. The Hawks then got two runs off of Lucero in the home half of the ninth, but Lucero was able to coax a pair of fly outs to end the game.
Going three-plus innings and allowing just two runs on two hits while striking out three in relief, Grenn earned his first collegiate victory, while Lucero's 1.1-inning, two-strikeout outing was just his second appearance of the season.
Aidan Chamberlin got the no-decision in his first collegiate start, giving up three runs on three hits over 2.1 innings, and
Zach Ward followed him with 2.1 innings of work as well while allowing four runs.
Noland Genies lasted 2.2 innings in the start for UMES, surrendering just one run before giving way to Porter Braddy who himself lasted 3.2 innings while allowing three runs. Gary Hallmen got the loss after giving up three runs without recording an out, while five more Eastern Shore pitchers followed him before Lee Byrd worked a scoreless top of the ninth inning.
Paul Kostacopoulos Postgame Comments
"It was a good win. When you go into the top of the seventh as the visiting team down, 7-1, and you find a way to get some rallies going and then come back and win the game, it shows a good collective offensive effort today. We hit with guys on base today. We had three players have four hits today in Burch, Rausch and Keller, and seven of our nine starters had multiple hits, so we got it from everybody, which was good. Even early in the game, we had eighth hits in the first six innings despite only having one run, so we did a good job at the plate all day."
"I thought Grenn did a really good job keeping it together there when it was 7-1. He had a very unique inning where he threw a three-pitch frame, so we got their guy right back out there and then we scored 12 runs, so I thought that was big. Chamberlin threw the ball well as a starter today, so I thought those two guys did a really good job keeping us in the ball game and giving us a chance to win."
"It's kind of the same message as before (heading into Lafayette). We're hoping our bats warm up a little bit and for some carryover for three or four games from the offense right now. I think today could be the start of that and we hope we can keep that going."
Game Notes
• Navy is now 35-5 against Maryland Eastern Shore in the all-time series, winning the last 12 meetings.
• The Mids' 18 runs are the most by a Navy team since scoring 20 runs at Holy Cross in the second game of an April 10, 2022 doubleheader, while Navy's 22 hits are the most since that same Holy Cross game when the Mids' tallied 24 hits.
• With a first-inning walk and seventh-inning single, Smith's on-base streak was extended to 22 straight games while his hitting streak reached nine games.
• Smith's four runs scored were a career best, while his three walks on Wednesday matched his career high from March 29 against UMBC.
• Burch's four hits and four RBI were both career bests by the senior outfielder.
• The four hits by Rausch were also a career high, while he has now amassed four RBI in a game three times this season.
• Keller has now racked up pair of four-hit games this season and five four-hit contests in his Navy career.
• Lucero's 1.1 innings pitched was a new career high.
• Grenn's three strikeouts were a career best, while his three frames matched his career high from Feb. 21 against Georgetown.
Up Next
Navy heads to Easton, Pa., for a three-game Patriot League series against Lafayette. Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's series finale are both set for noon starts at Hilton Rahn '51 Field at Kamine Stadium.
