ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Using eight hits and nine walks, the Navy baseball team (3-7) ignited its offense to post an 11-3 victory over Sacred Heart (4-5) on Sunday afternoon, avoiding the weekend sweep at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
 
Backed by the bullpen posting seven shutout innings against the Pioneers, the Midshipmen were led offensively by freshman Ty DePerno's three-hit, four-RBI contest and sophomore Andrew Manning drawing four walks to account for three Navy runs.
 
Navy set the tone early, putting its first two batters of the game on base, while a wild pitch and junior Brock Murtha's sacrifice fly allowed rookie Noah Ditas to come home for the contest's first run, with DePerno's groundout later in the first inning driving in junior Henry Mitchell to increase the lead. Sacred Heart would not wait long to respond, as a triple and a walk to start the top of the second put Daniel Rice III in position to rip a two-run double down the left-field line, tying the game at 2-2.
 
The teams would again trade runs in the third inning, as Zack Kovalchik drove in Gavin Donohue on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly, but sophomore reliever Ryan Bibb limited the damage with a fly out to end the frame. The Mids tied it back up in the bottom of the inning, as Navy put Murtha on third base with a Manning hit-and-run single and scored him when DePerno lifted a single into left.
 
Murtha gave Navy the lead back in the fifth, racing home from third base on a wild pitch, while sophomore Evan Brown laced a single up the middle two batters later to plate Manning. Adding two more runs in the seventh on a sacrifice-bunt throwing error and double play with a runner on third and no outs, Navy extended the lead to 7-3 after the seventh-inning stretch.
 
The Mids' offense then blew the game open in the eighth, loading the bases to begin the frame and then scoring sophomore Tyler Bouchard on a wild pitch. Continuing the rout, Murtha hit his second sacrifice fly of the afternoon to drive in Ditas, while Manning's fourth walk of the game brought up DePerno, who doubled in Mitchell and Manning to raise the Navy edge to 11-3.
 
Picking up the ball for his third inning of relief, freshman southpaw Spencer Stephens induced two fly outs and struck out his final batter to close out the Navy win and earn his first collegiate save.
 
After freshman starter Kody Clancy surrendered three runs on three hits in two innings, Bibb took over by holding the Pioneers to two hits in two scoreless frames, while sophomore Matt Archibald held SHU hitless in his two innings to pick up his first winning decision and Stephens finished the game by retiring all nine batters he faced.
 
For the Pioneers, starter Ryan Parker was handed the loss after allowing five runs in 4.2 innings and Charlie Costello followed by giving up two unearned runs in 2.1 frames. Nick Kane then surrendered four runs in 0.1 innings while Trent Price recorded the final two outs for Sacred Heart.
 
Coach Chuck Ristano Comments
"Today was probably the best game we've played to date this season. Really happy with what we did with our opportunities, we got some big swings of the bat in clutch moments today. I like how we're running the bases but our ability to deliver the clutch hit was the difference today. The trio of Bibb, Archibald and Stephens were outstanding in relief and those are the types of performances we'll need as the season evolves. The guys are frustrated by our body of work to this point but every day gives us the chance to go 1-0, and today we did that. It felt like today, and even in the loss yesterday, that we might have lit the fuse that helps us turn the corner."
 
Game Notes
• Navy is 1-2 in the all-time series with Sacred Heart.
• Manning's four walks match his career high from April 20, 2024 against Lehigh and are one short of the program single-game record.
• Manning also matched another career high with his three runs scored.
• Mitchell has reached base safely in every game this season and has a 12-game on-base streak dating back to May 13, 2023.
 
Up Next
Navy continues the homestand Wednesday when it hosts George Washington in a 3 p.m. contest.