WORCESTER, Mass. – Picking up the season-series win and avoiding the weekend sweep, the Navy baseball team (21-15, 11-7 PL) used strong pitching and contributions from the back-half of its lineup to post a 7-2 win over Patriot League foe Holy Cross (17-20, 8-6 PL) on Sunday afternoon at Fitton Field.
 
Led senior Logan Keller's three-hit, two-RBI performance at the plate and two-hit days from fellow senior Anthony Fiallo and sophomore Mac McCommons, the Midshipmen got the run support to get senior Nolan Jorgenson the win after going a career-high five innings in his first collegiate start while junior Landon Kruer closed our Jorgenson gem with a scoreless four-inning save.
 
Taking advantage of two errors in the top of the first, Navy grabbed a quick lead when sophomore Brock Murtha reached on a two-out error to extend the inning and stole second, then racing home on Keller's single in right field, while another error put two on for sophomore Victor Izquierdo, who ripped his own single to bring in Keller and make it 2-0.
 
Holy Cross would answer in the home half of the first as three singles saw Braden Connors drive in Colin Brown, but a 4-6-3 double play shut down any further damage. The Crusaders then evened the score in the third as Jimmy King doubled to start the inning and moved up to third on a flyout before sliding home on a wild pitch.
 
Navy did not need long to retake the lead, as Fiallo crushed a one-out double off the left-center wall in the fourth and came in to score shortly after on McCommons' single down the third-base line, making it 3-2.
 
With Jorgenson and Kruer combining to allow just three hits over the final six frames, the Mids finally added some insurance in the eighth inning with a four-spot. Started by back-to-back leadoff walks to senior Hudson Lehnertz in his first game back from injury and Fiallo, Navy capitalized with Lehnertz scoring on another Holy Cross error while senior Eduardo Diaz swelled the lead to 6-2 with a two-run single through the left side, while Murtha later scooted to third on a two-base error and crossed home on Keller's second RBI single of the contest to increase the margin to 7-2. Kruer then retired six of the final Holy Cross batters, ending the game on a strikeout of King to notch his sixth save of the campaign.
 
Jorgenson finished his outing by holding Holy Cross to just two runs on five hits, striking out two while walking none in his five frames, while Kruer gave up two hits and two walks during his four-inning, four-strikeout appearance.
 
Allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits, Jaden Wywoda lasted four innings in the loss despite four strikeouts, as Luke LeMond tossed three innings of scoreless relief before Andrew Nelson surrendered two runs without recording an out and Nick Harnisch allowed a pair of unearned runs over two frames out of the bullpen.
 
Game Notes
• Navy improved to 91-54 in the all-time series with Holy Cross.
• Sunday marked Kruer's fifth appearance this season of three-or-more innings, as the right-hander has recorded a save in six of his last seven outings.
• The five-inning start was Jorgenson's third appearance this season of four-or-more innings.
• Three-hit day was Keller's team-leading 15th multi-hit game of the season.
• Izquierdo extended his on-base streak to 12-straight games.
 
Up Next
Navy returns home on Wednesday, April 17 to begin a four-game homestand, playing Bucknell in a 5 p.m. contest to complete the season series.