KINSTON, N.C. – Coming within inches of a grand slam to cap off a ninth-inning rally, the Navy baseball team (2-5) did not get the break it needed Sunday afternoon in a 4-2 loss to Air Force (4-3) in the final game of the 2024 Freedom Classic at historic Grainger Stadium.
 
With the final out being recorded up against the wall in dead-center with the bases loaded and the wind gusting in, the Falcons closed out the first sweep in Freedom Classic history despite the Midshipmen's pitching staff holding Air Force to just four hits in the series finale. Nearly the hero of the game for Navy, sophomore Brock Murtha did record a three-hit contest for the Mids while Jake Greiving's second home run of the weekend accounted for three of Air Force's three runs on Sunday.
 
Navy threatened to take the lead with opportunities in both the first and second innings, but Air Force ended up striking first when Chris Stalling led off the frame with a single and used a stolen base and wild pitch to advance to third, setting up Chase Spencer for an RBI single.
 
With senior starter Matthew Shirah trading scoreless frames with Air Force's Ben Weber over the next three innings, the Mids finally brought the game even in the top of the sixth thanks to freshman Andrew Manning, as back-to-back hit-by-pitches to start the frame put Manning in position to score senior Logan Keller on a single up the middle. The Falcons answered back quickly, as a pair of walks led to a two-out, three-run blast from Greiving in the home half of the sixth.
 
Putting two runners on again in the seventh, Navy cut the deficit to 4-2 in the eighth when Murtha doubled and then forced a throwing error when advancing to third base on a ball in the dirt.
 
Looking to complete the comeback, Navy put the tying run on when sophomore Mac McCommons was hit and senior Zane Raba walked in the ninth. After rifling a foul ball with home-run distance on the first pitch he saw, Keller then coaxed out a walk to load the bases. Bringing up Murtha, the Mids' cleanup hitter smacked the second pitch of the at-bat to the deepest part of the ballpark just as the wind was blowing in from centerfield, giving Spencer the chance to grab it as he neared the fence and give Air Force its third-straight win.
 
Being handed the loss, Shirah lasted 5.1 innings and held Air Force to two runs on two hits while striking out three. Reliefing Shirah, freshman Timmy Virtudes gave up two runs in 0.2 innings, while junior Landon Kruer and senior Nolan Jorgenson both got back on track with scoreless frames out of the bullpen.
 
Weber finished up with six strikeouts in 5.1 innings and limited Navy to one run on five hits, while Doyle Gehring notched the winning decision by allowing one run on one hit in 3.2 frames, notching five strikeouts while walking three Mids.
 
Coach Chuck Ristano Comments
"It was a tough weekend all around. It was good to get a solid performance on the mound. A well-pitched game overall, but we gave them a window to damage us and they did with one swing of the bat. I thought Murtha's ball in the ninth was leaving the yard, but it just got a little caught up in the wind.
 
It was very nice to meet some new friends in Kinston and the folks who put on the Freedom classic were tremendous. The respect we have for Air Force's coaches and players is immense and we wish them all the best as the season unfolds.
 
We are still learning who fits best and where, and we need to bounce back with a stronger effort on Tuesday against Delaware State."
 
Game Notes
• Air Force now leads the all-time series with Navy at 33-32, with the Falcons having a 20-17 edge over the Mids when playing in Kinston.
• Murtha has reached base safely in all seven games this season, while fellow sophomore Victor Izquierdo has a six-game on-base streak.
• Murtha now has three multi-hit games this season, giving him 12 multi-hit contests in his career.
• Shirah has now had 10 career starts where he has gone five-or-more innings and allowed two-or-less runs.
 
Up Next
Navy will host Delaware State on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Mids and Hornets are slated for a 3 p.m. first pitch.