ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Led by rookie starter Owen Phypers limiting the opposition to just four hits in his seven frames, the Navy baseball team pulled the series win with a 4-0 shutout over St. Bonaventure on Sunday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
 
After a scoreless first four innings between the teams, the Midshipmen (7-3) manufactured runs in the fifth and seventh innings to back up Phypers lights-out start before adding insurance in the eighth inning, with fellow rookie Jake Hooten pacing the Navy lineup with a three-hit afternoon.
 
While Phypers settled in after a first-inning runner reached third base, Enger Paulino matched the Navy starter until three free passes loaded the bases in the bottom of the third, but Paulino induced a pop-up to thwart the Mids.
 
Phypers then pitched around a pair of baserunners in the top of the fifth, while a Henry Mitchell hit-by-pitch followed by Hooten's bunt single and a throwing error on the play put Mitchell on third base for Mason Ceccarelli's sacrifice fly, tagging up for the Mids' first run of the game.
 
As Phypers halted a Bonnies rally in the sixth frame, Navy increased its lead to 2-0 in the seventh when Hooten singled up the middle, got to second on Ceccarelli's own single, took third on a Victor Izquierdo lineout and then swiped home on a double-steal play with Ceccarelli.
 
With Spencer Stephens coming out of the bullpen to snuff out another situation with two Bonnies in scoring position in the eighth, the Mids continued to extend its lead when Will Howard converted a safety-squeeze bunt to plate Noah Ditas. Hooten made it a 4-0 score shortly after when he singled home Tyler Bouchard on a ball down the left-field line, while Stephens limited SBU to a Conner Vercollone walk in the ninth before closing out the contest for his second save of the season.
 
Phypers wrapped up his seven innings with four strikeouts while keeping the Bonnies to just four hits and three walks, picking up the win, while Tyler Green recorded two outs before Stephens held SBU hitless in his 1.1-inning save.
 
Paulino ended with one unearned run allowed on two hits in his five innings, suffering the loss despite seven strikeouts, before James Capellupo pitched 1.1 frames and gave up a run in his appearance and Derek Duval finished on the hook for two runs in his 1.2-inning outing.
 
Game Notes
• Navy moved to 2-1 in the all-time series with St. Bonaventure.
• Phypers' seven innings marked the longest start this season by a Navy pitcher.
• Mitchell and Izquierdo both pushed their on-base streaks to four games.
 
Up Next
Navy hosts Coppin State on Tuesday, with first pitch set for 3:00 p.m.