ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Using a couple of big hits and a strong running game to back up timely pitching performances, the Navy baseball team (2-5) collected a 7-4 victory in its 2025 home opener against visiting Manhattan (1-7) Tuesday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
 
With freshman right-hander Kody Clancy going three solid innings in his first collegiate start to pave the way for an impressive outing by the Navy bullpen, the Midshipmen also saw juniors Brock Murtha and Victor Izquierdo break out at the plate to join freshman catcher Ty DePerno in tallying two-hit afternoons.
 
Navy got an early lead in the first inning when a single from Murtha started the two-out rally, as a Manhattan error and stolen base put him on third for Izquierdo's RBI single into center field, while another throwing error by the Jaspers on a pickoff attempt of Izquierdo brought sophomore Andrew Manning in to score from third after his walk earlier in the frame.
 
Manhattan cut into the lead in the third inning, as a Navy fielding error with two down allowed Ryan Lordier to score from second base, but Clancy punched out Colin Basehore to keep the Mids in front.
 
Clancy, junior Jackson Beattie and senior Owen Beisty then kept the Jaspers' bats in check for the next four innings to combat the five scoreless frames that Manhattan starter Preston Tamm tossed after the two-run first inning, with Beattie sitting down nine of his first 10 batters faced and Beisty getting two big strikeouts in the seventh to leave a pair of runners stranded in scoring position. Backing up his bullpen in the bottom of the seventh, DePerno smashed a two-out solo home run into the left-field corner that extended the Mids' lead back to two.
 
The Jaspers would chip into the deficit again in the eighth, though, as a two-out double from Basehore set him up to race home on Jeremy Sosa's pinch-hit single right after, but senior Landon Kruer preserved Navy's lead with a strikeout of Trevor Hansen. Murtha, Izquierdo and DePerno continued their standout days in the bottom of the eighth, as Murtha singled home junior Henry Mitchell, Izquierdo tripled to score Murtha and Manning and DePerno then drove in Izquierdo to extend the lead to 7-2.
 
Manhattan tried to rally in the ninth with RBI two-out singles from Andreaus Lewis and Lordier, but Kruer beared down to force the game-ending groundout by Aidan Taclus.
 
Clancy finished with one earned run on one hit over three frames while striking out four, while Beattie picked up the win with 3.1 shutout innings, Beisty went 1.1 innings after him and Kruer notched his first save of the season with his four outs recorded.
 
Tamm was handed the loss despite allowing just one earned run and two hits over six frames, while Cade Udell allowed five runs in 1.1 innings and Chris Fidanza pitched the final two outs for the Jaspers.
 
Coach Chuck Ristano Comments
"It's nice to be back at home. Having a good crowd and some good baseball is a tough day to beat. I'm really happy with what we got from Clancy, Beattie and Beisty. They kept us in it for those middle innings when the game was in the balance. Beattie was quietly excellent and Beisty getting those two big strikeouts in the seventh to preserve our lead was such a momentum shift for us. It was good to get some clutch hitting from Brock and Vic. They are two of the leaders on this team that help make us go. Those guys have been working hard and it was just a matter of time before they broke out."
 
"We didn't get a ton of chances but, when we did, it was good to watch us run the bases and make things happen offensively with some aggression. We have some parts of the game that need to be executed at a higher level, but we are learning and growing and I appreciate how hard the kids are competing."
 
Game Notes
• Navy is now 1-0 in the all-time series with Manhattan.
• Murtha picked up a career-high four steals, the most by a Navy player since Trevor Thompson's four stolen bases on April 11, 2005.
• Murtha's four steals were also one shy of matching Herbert Mills' program-record five steals on May 4, 1943.
• Izquierdo's three RBI marked a career high for the junior.
• Tuesday was Kruer's 26th career save, bringing him two away from matching the Patriot League-record 28 career saves set by John Colella of Holy Cross (2010-13).
 
Up Next
Navy hosts Sacred Heart at 4 p.m. Friday to open a three-game series.