ANNAPOLIS, Md. – In a pair of close seven-inning contests Saturday afternoon, the Navy baseball team dropped the opening game of the doubleheader, 3-2, before rallying for a 7-6 walk-off victory in the nightcap at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
 
In a day that saw multiple offensive highlights from both sides, junior Victor Izquierdo posted back-to-back two-hit games and freshman Noah Ditas joined him with four hits across the twin-bill for the Midshipmen, while Carter Hanson smashed a two-run homer in both ends of the doubleheader for the visiting Minutemen.
 
Game One Recap
UMass took the opening lead in the first when Braden Sullivan's double preceded Hanson's two-run, two-out blast over the right-center fence, putting the Minutemen up 2-0, while Callen Powers prevented an early Navy rally by leaving two runners in scoring position.
 
Navy finally cut into the lead during the second inning, as Izquierdo lined an RBI single immediately after sophomore Evan Brown tripled into the right-center gap, while the fourth inning saw sophomore Jack Killelea put a leadoff double down the line and Izquierdo later doubled home Killelea for the tying run.
 
After Marc Willi walked to start the fifth and Kyle Hoog pinch-ran for him, a pair of out advanced him to third and he came across to score the go-ahead run on a two-out Navy fielding error, while Powers again left a runner stranded in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings. Ryan Merritt then retired the Mids in order in the seventh to close out the game and extend UMass' unbeaten streak to five games.
 
Powers finished with the win after allowing two runs on nine hits but racking up seven strikeouts in six frames, while Merritt recorded two strikeouts in his one-inning save.
 
Handed the loss, junior right-hander Tyler Grenn tossed a complete-game quality start with just two earned runs on five hits over seven innings, striking out three to just one walk issued.
 
Game Two Recap
In a repeat of the first game, Hanson blasted another two-run, two-out shot in the top of the first after Anthony Tirado opened the game with a walk, but Navy responded in the bottom of the frame when Ditas singled to lead off, got to third on a failed pickoff and then crossed home on junior Brock Murtha's groundout. The Mids then evened the score at 2-2 in the third inning, as a double steal with Murtha on first and sophomore Tyler Bouchard on third had Bouchard break home when the throw went down to second base.
 
UMass regained the lead in the fourth on a Ryan Kolben double that plated Hanson, but the Mids answered back with a three-run rally in the home half of that inning. Starting with a two-out double from rookie Chris Klug, senior Ivan Aguirre then lofted an RBI double and Bouchard raked an RBI single to give Navy its first lead of the afternoon, 3-2. Back-to-back hit-by-pitches then loaded the bases for sophomore Andrew Manning, who worked a walk to drive in Bouchard to extend the advantage.
 
In a bad break, UMass tied the game back up at 5-5 in the fifth when a bases-loaded wild pitch on a swinging strikeout scooted away and allowed two Minutemen to race home, while the UMass bullpen stranded two more Navy runners in the bottom of the fifth.
 
After Willi hooked a solo homer past the right-field foul pole to lead off the seventh and hand UMass the lead again, Navy got to work in the bottom of the seventh when Killelea, Brown and Izquierdo all got singles to pack the bases. Facing a full count, freshman Ty DePerno then delivered an RBI grounder that deflected off the UMass fielder's glove into left field, allowing fellow freshman Owen Peterson and Brown to score and sending the Mids into a walk-off celebration.
 
Freshman Kody Clancy went four innings and registered two strikeouts for Navy, giving up three runs (two earned) on two hits, while sophomore Ryan Bibb pitched to two batters and senior Landon Kruer pitched the final three innings, getting the win after allowing one run on three hits and punching out four Minutemen.
 
On the UMass side, Sam Belliveau allowed one run in his one-inning start, while former Navy pitcher Jack Levine tossed 3.1 innings against his old team and surrendered four runs on six hits, Bobby McDonough suffered the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) over 1.2 frames and Adam Merrit gave up one hit as he faced the final two Navy batters of the game.
 
Game Notes
• Navy is now 8-6 in the all-time series with UMass.
• Grenn's outing was his third-straight quality start, as the righty has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his four starts on the season.
• Clancy's four innings marked a career high for the righty.
• Navy's 12 hits in Saturday's nightcap were a season high.
• Izquierdo now has an eight-game on-base streak heading into Sunday.
 
Up Next
Navy and UMass conclude the series with a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.