Naval Academy Athletics

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Victor Izquierdo hit a three-run home run to highlight a six-run second inning and Brady Bendik struck out nine over 7.2 quality innings, as the Navy baseball team defeated Lafayette, 9-1, in their Patriot League series opener Friday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
 
Backed by Patrick Walsh's three-hit contest and two-hit outings from Izquierdo, Andrew Manning and Tyler Cripe, the Midshipmen (19-13, 6-7 PL) also got an additional power display from Chris Klug' first career homer as part of a three-run fifth frame, while Matt Colella paced the Leopards (7-22, 3-10 PL) with two hits and the team's lone RBI in the opening game of the weekend series presented by Federal House Bar & Grille.
 
Lafayette struck first in the top of the opening frame when Liam Ebbs hit a one-out bloop double down the left-field line and later scored Colella shot an RBI single up the middle, giving the Leopards a brief 1-0 advantage.
 
Navy's offense erupted in the bottom of the second, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring six runs to take control of the game. Jake Hooten sparked the rally with an RBI triple to right that plated Walsh and tied the game, while Hooten crossed the plate himself on a wild pitch moments later to give the Mids the lead.
 
With back-to-back two-out singles from Noah Stead and Tyler Cripe keeping the inning going, Izquierdo broke the game open with a three-run shot to left field just below the scoreboard, tying him for the team lead with four long balls this spring. The barrage continued as Manning tripled to left-center and came home on Evan Brown's RBI single up the middle, capping the six-run outburst.
 
After threatening in the fourth when Izquierdo high-tailed around bases for a one-out triple, Navy added some extra insurance in the fifth when Klug followed up Walsh's leadoff single with a 428-foot two-run homer off the scoreboard. Will Howard finished off the fifth-inning outburst when he singled, went first-to-third on another Stead single and then raced home on a wild pitch, ballooning the lead to 9-1 Navy.
 
While the Mids put runners in scoring position in the next two innings, Antonio Correa kept them in check to match the performance put up by Bendik. After a pair of Leopards singled in the eighth, Ryan Bibb picked up Bendik by striking out Boden Fernsler to prevent a rally and then retired Lafayette in order in the ninth to close out the series opener.
 
Bendik (4-3) yielded just one earned run on eight hits and one walk to secure the victory for the Mids, while Bibb successfully shut the door by pitching 1.1 no-hit innings and striking out two.
 
Tristan Helmick (2-5) took the loss for Lafayette, chased early after allowing six runs on eight hits in three innings, while Braden Pomponi gave up three runs in his two innings and Correa held Navy to just two hits in his three frames out of the bullpen.
 
Game Notes
• Navy is now 107-55-2 in the all-time series with Lafayette, winning the last three meetings in the series.
• The 15 hits by Navy matched the team's season high from March 10 at Norfolk State.
• Bendik's 7.2 innings marked his second-longest start of the season, while the righty has now struck out nine-or-more batters in five straight outings.
• Izquierdo has had multi-hit, multi-RBI contests in three of his last five games.
• Friday was Walsh's third three-hit game of the season.
• Cripe moved his hitting streak to seven games while Walsh improved his on-base streak to 13 games.
 
Up Next
Navy and Lafayette continue the series on Saturday with a Bark at the Park doubleheader. First pitch for game one is slated for 1:05 p.m.