ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Notching its second walk-off win in as many days and its third walk-off victory of week, the Navy baseball team rallied from an early hole again Sunday afternoon to post the 4-3 win over Dartmouth in 10 innings and clinch the series victory at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
 
The Midshipmen (11-4) got a solid outing from spot starter Spencer Stephens and a lights-out bullpen effort courtesy of Timmy Virtudes, Aidan Healy and Jackson, allowing the offense to come alive late against the Big Green (3-7), while Tyler Cripe slid home for the game-winning run to complete a three-hit day for the Navy shortstop.
 
With injuries pressing Navy into a lineup that featured five freshmen, the Mids fell behind right away when a Nico Banez hit-by-pitch on the first pitch of the game was followed by a Navy fielding error and a Milo Suarez walk to load the bases with no outs, while a wild pitch then allowed Banez to race home for the afternoon's first run. Alejandro Puig was later able to score on Henry Murray's fielder's choice, making it 2-0 Big Green before the Mids ever came to the plate.
 
Stephens settled in and was able to retire nine-straight batters, while Navy answered back in the bottom of the third when a pair of walks and Tyler Cripe's single loaded the bases for Chris Klug, who lifted a one-out sacrifice fly in left field to drive in Will Howard.
 
A Murray triple set him up to come home on Camden Rush's single one pitch later in the fourth, increasing the lead to 3-1. With Virtudes coming out for the fifth and sitting down 11 of his first 12 batters faced out of the bullpen, Navy tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when Howard walked and Cripe doubled to put two runners in scoring position, bringing up John Loudon for a two-run single lined into the left-center gap.
 
After Navy put the go-ahead run on second base in the seventh, Dartmouth got its own chance to go in front during the ninth with a two-out rally that filled the bases, but Aidan Healy got Taer Rodriguez swinging to escape the jam after starting the at-bat behind 3-0.
 
A 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth by the Big Green's Mac Burke sent the game to extra innings, but was matched by Clark retiring the side as well in the top of the 10th. Navy completed the comeback after Cripe singled to start the bottom of the frame and Loudon walked, as Klug's sacrifice bunt was thrown away and Cripe raced home, barely avoiding the tag for the game-winning run.
 
Stephens finished with a four-inning start, with only one of his three runs being earned and striking out four batters, while Virtudes allowed a pair of hits in his 3.2 shutout innings, Healy gave up a hit but struck out two in his 1.1 scoreless frames and Clark got a strikeout himself in his inning of action for the win.
 
Nate Matoush went 4.1 innings in the start for Dartmouth, allowing three runs on three hits, while Kyle Klaric-Schell tossed 2.2 scoreless frames and Burke got the loss by allowing an unearned run in his two innings of work.
 
Head Coach Chuck Ristano Postgame
"This weekend really put our resolve to the test. After a Friday night that dealt us some challenging circumstances, seeing our guys respond the way they did and continue to answer the bell makes me incredibly proud of this group. There were plenty of outstanding individual performances, but the biggest theme of the weekend was our collective willingness to just keep competing. At one point today, we had six plebes and two youngsters on the field. Watching them grow up a little bit this early in the season is really inspiring, and it also says a lot about the selflessness and leadership of our older guys."
 
Game Notes
• Navy improved to 45-25-3 in the all-time series with Dartmouth.
• Stephens' four frames and Virtudes' 3.2 innings both set career highs for the southpaw.
• The Mids' 11-4 record is the best 15-game start to a season by Navy since the 2020 COVID-shortened campaign (14-1 start).
• Sunday was Cripe's second three-hit game of the year, previously doing so in the Feb. 14 nightcap at Queens.  
 
Up Next
Navy will head to Norfolk State for a 3:00 p.m. contest on Tuesday afternoon.