LEWISBURG, Pa. – Looking to secure a big Patriot League series win, the Navy baseball (10-10, 2-2 PL) team could not overcome a seven-run first inning by Bucknell (8-11, 2-2 PL), as the Midshipmen dropped the weekend finale, 8-2, to the Bison on Sunday afternoon at Depew Field.
 
Giving up the seven early runs, the Navy bullpen was able to hold Bucknell to just one run over the final seven innings, while sophomore Brock Murtha put together a two-hit performance for the Mids' lineup.
 
Bucknell's big first inning started out with a Jacob Corson walk followed by Sean Keys' double and four-straight RBI singles by the Bison before forcing a Navy pitching change, but a two-run double from Andrew Swenson and a bases-loaded walk to Keys made it 7-0.
 
Corson extended the lead to 8-0 in the third when he punched a two-out single up the middle and immediately came into score on a Keys triple, but that was the only run freshman Ryan Bibb allowed over his final four frames of work.
 
Working a leadoff walk to start the sixth, senior Logan Keller was eventually able to come home on a single by fellow senior Hudson Lehnertz, while the seventh saw sophomore Victor Izquierdo get on via an error to begin the inning before using a Mac McCommons hit-by-pitch and two groundouts to advance home and cut the Bucknell lead to 2-0.
 
Navy tried to continue to chip away, putting two runners on in both the eighth and ninth innings, but the Bucknell bullpen used a pair of double plays to halt the Mids' comeback attempts and earn the weekend split.
 
Getting the start, sophomore Jackson Beattie was on the hook for six runs and suffered the loss, while Bibb held the Bison to two runs on four hits across 4.2 innings before ceding to senior Nolan Jorgenson, who tossed three shutout frames and punched out four batters.
 
For the Bison, starter Jonathan Adelmann lasted four scoreless innings and struck out five to just three hits before handing it off to Graeme Carroll, who notched the win after logging 4.1 innings and allowing one earned run on four hits, while Nick Mulvey recorded the final two outs for Bucknell.
 
Coach Chuck Ristano Comments
"We let Bucknell take control of the game in the first inning and we just couldn't get back into it as the game progressed. I thought Ryan and Nolan did a good job of settling the game, but their pitchers seemed to make the big pitch to keep them from getting damaged. That's a tough series between two good ball clubs."
 
Game Notes
• Navy is now 96-85-1 in the all-time series with Bucknell.
• Murtha now leads the Mids with nine multi-hit games.
• Izquierdo extended his on-base streak to 19 games.
• Bibb's 4.2 innings matched his career long, while Jorgenson's four strikeouts also matched a career best.
 
Up Next
Navy ends its six-game road swing on Wednesday, March 20, heading to Philadelphia, Pa., for a 3 p.m. first pitch at Saint Joseph's.