WEST POINT, N.Y. – After rallying late to take the lead in the deciding game of the Star Series, the Navy baseball team (25-19, 15-10 PL) could not hold on Sunday afternoon, as the Midshipmen were walked off on, 7-6, by rival Army (24-18, 25-18, 14-7 PL) at Johnson Stadium at Doubleday Field.
 
Despite senior Logan Keller's sixth home run of the season and two RBI from sophomore Victor Izquierdo propelling the Navy offense, the Black Knights used two homers themselves to grab an early lead and battled back in the ninth inning to set up Chris Barr's game-winning single, keeping the star in West Point for the third-straight year.
 
Army opened the scoring in the first inning when Derek Berg singled and Sam Ruta walked, as William Parker then poked a single into left field that brought home Berg but freshman Brady Bendik got a pair of flyouts to avoid further damage.
 
The Mids answered right back as freshman Andrew Manning singled with one out and Keller followed with a deep line drive over the left-field fence, handing Navy a 2-1 edge. Berg brought the game even in the third inning with his own homer, launching a solo shot out to center.
 
Another home run in the fifth inning put Army back in front, as Parker singled before Braden Golinski sent a two-run shot over the right-field wall, but Navy stranded a pair of Black Knights later in the frame. The Black Knights extended the lead in the sixth when Barr walked, stole second and got to third on a balk before coming home on Parker's single.
 
Navy started its comeback in the seventh thanks to leadoff walk by sophomore Brock Murtha, who came all the around to score on Izquierdo's double into left, while a groundout later in the frame moved Izquierdo over to third and the first baseman then crossed home on freshman Jack Killelea's infield single.
 
With junior Landon Kruer then leaving a two-out walk stranded in the bottom of the seventh, the Mids put two on with one out in the eighth before a wild pitch moved them up, setting up Murtha to drive in senior Hudson Lehnertz on a single into left and tying the game at 5-all. Izquierdo followed by delivering another clutch RBI when he lofted a sacrifice fly into center field that plated senior Eduardo Diaz, giving the lead back to Navy, 6-5.
 
Kruer stranded a pair of runners in the eighth as well, but Army got Golinski on via a single to lead off the ninth while a passed ball and groundout moved him up to third base, allowing him to scoot home on an Addison Ainsworth double. With Zach Farrell then pinch-running for Ainsworth and fly ball putting one down, Barr walked it off with a single into the gap that scored Farrell and gave the star to the Black Knights.
 
Bendik wrapped up his start with four runs allowed on eight hits over 4.2 innings despite four strikeouts, while fellow rookie Evan Foster got the final out of the fifth inning. Saddled with the hard-luck loss, Kruer finished with three runs surrendered in 3.2 innings, notching two strikeouts.
 
Matthew Ronnebaum tossed seven innings as Army's starter, issuing four runs on four hits with eight punchouts, while Trey Ates was on the hook for one run without recording an out in the eighth before Andrew Berg got the final six outs for Army, allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts.
 
With Navy having already clinched the all-sport Star Series presented by USAA, Army's baseball series win moved the overall star competition record in 2023-24 to 14-11-1 in the Mids' favor.
 
Game Notes
• The all-time series record between Navy and Army on the diamond moved back to even at 131-131.
• Keller's six homers this season are the most by a Navy player since Christian Hodge (12) and Liam Lowery (7) in 2019.
• Sunday marked Kruer's sixth appearance this season of three-or-more innings.
• Manning extended his on-base streak to 10 games.
 
Up Next
Navy is set to play at No. 14 Virginia on Wednesday evening, with first pitch at 6 p.m. from Disharoon Park in Charlottesville, Va.