ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy baseball team could not hold off a battle-tested Elon squad on Saturday night, as the Phoenix used a two-out rally to break a 1-1 tie in the ninth and secure the 3-1 victory under the lights of Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
 
Nate Mitchell once again set the tone for the Midshipmen on the mound by holding Elon to one run in a five-inning start before handing it off to the Navy bullpen, as the Mids' pitchers went toe-to-toe with Elon's top two starters and relief ace, while Brock Murtha's solo home run paced a Navy offense that saw three others collect multi-hit contests.
 
After Elon starter Shea Sprague was able to strand two runners in the bottom of the first, Elon quickly took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, getting the first run of the game when back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt to start the frame set up Tanner Holliman for an RBI single up the middle that brought in Cole Reynolds, but Mitchell worked out of further trouble and retired nine of his final 10 batters.
 
Navy finally got on the board and evened the game in the fifth, as Murtha led off the bottom of the inning by connecting with Justin Mitrovich's first pitch out of the bullpen and blasting it out to left-center field for his third home run of the season. Taking over for Mitchell, Liam Golden then recorded a scoreless sixth inning before Reece Early followed by retiring six of his first seven batters faced.
 
With the bullpen keeping the score tied, Navy again put two on to lead off the eighth when Eduardo Diaz and Alex Smith both singled off Joe Savino, but the Elon reliever bared down and got two strikeouts before inducing a foul-out to end the threat. The Phoenix responded in the top of the ninth when Justin Cassella laced a two-out double down the left-field line, as Holliman then singled him in to grab the lead, while a James Broderick single two batters later plated Holliman for an insurance run. Now holding the lead, Savino came out and sat the Mids in order in the bottom of the ninth to close out the Elon win.
 
Sprague finished the night with just three hits allowed and six strikeouts in four innings, while Mitrovich gave up the lone Navy run in his three innings of work and Savino got the win by striking out four in his two frames of relief.
 
Surrendering just four hits and recording two strikeouts through five innings was Mitchell, with Golden then allowing a hit and walk with one strikeout in his inning of work. Despite making it 2.2 innings and striking out three before giving up two runs, was saddled with the loss, while Landon Kruer recorded the final out for Navy on a three-pitch strikeout.
 
Paul Kostacopoulos Postgame Comments
"I thought we pitched really well. We did some really good things as we executed on our breaking ball and we were able to sneak some fastballs by them. I thought we did a really good job of executing our game plan, being in control out there, and staying ahead of hitters or at least even with hitters. We didn't pitch from behind very much tonight. We also played good defense and made some plays when we had to make them. Offensively again, we just didn't pick up guys on base. We have guys on first and second and no outs in the inning, and we don't get anything out of it. First and second with no outs in the eighth inning, don't get anything out of it with our four, five and six (hitters) up. That has been us the last couple weeks. We just got to keep going at it and we got another ballgame tomorrow."
 
"I think, no matter what, when you see good pitching it helps you, because you are seeing pitches that are located well, got good break and got good velocity. At the same time, we have got to do a better job of getting balls out of there - fouling some balls off, staying off some balls that are down in the zone and staying off some balls that are up in the zone - because you can't help pitchers like that. If you help pitchers like that, they're just going to pick you apart. I thought we helped them a little bit tonight, especially in some big spots."
 
Game Notes
• Elon now leads the all-time series with Navy at 1-0.
• All three of Murtha's home runs have come at home this season.
• Murtha extended his on-base streak to 16 games.
• Saturday's game broke a streak of five-straight appearances for Early without allowing an earned run.
• Early's 33.2 innings this season are a career high.
• Mitchell has now gone five-or-more innings in 10 of his 12 starts this season, with the only two other outings coming in the season opener and in a rain-suspended game at Lafayette on April 15.
• Elon's pitchers struck out 13 Navy batters, the most by the Mids in a game this season.
• Navy's pitchers have now allowed three earned runs-or-less in five consecutive contests.
 
Up Next
Navy and Elon will close out the series on Sunday, with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.