ANNAPOLIS, Md. – An early lead by the Midshipmen could not hold up against one of the Big Ten's best offenses, as the Navy baseball team (18-13) suffered a 15-2 loss in eight innings to Maryland (15-18) in Wednesday afternoon's non-conference showdown at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
 
While leadoff hitter Tyler Cripe tallied a two-hit day for the Mids in his return to the lineup, the Terrapins got a big offensive spark from Nate Hawton-Henley's go-ahead grand slam in the fourth inning and David Mendez added on a three-hit, three-RBI afternoon to lead the Terps in their run-rule win.
 
Navy took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after Chris Klug reached base via a bunt and then got to third on a stolen base and a wild pitch, coming across to score on Jake Hooten's groundout to the second baseman. Maryland answered right back in the third when Hawton-Henley singled and got to third via a Navy throwing error on Colin Gibbs' bunt, easily tagging up to even the game at 1-1 on Jordan Crosland's sacrifice fly to left.
 
Hawton-Henley broke the game open in the fourth when Maryland loaded the bases for him, crushing a one-out blast over the left-field wall, while another throwing error from the Mids later in the frame allowed Gibbs to score and make it 6-1.
 
Mendez's RBI single in the fifth and Ryan Costello's sacrifice fly to deep center in the sixth swelled the Terps' advantage to 8-1, but Navy clawed back to make it 8-2 in the seventh when Cripe tripled to the left-center gap to start the home half and then quickly raced home on a wild pitch moments later.
 
The top of the eighth brought another offensive outburst by Maryland, as the Mendez ripped a bases-loaded single to plate two more runs, a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch by Colin Gibbs and Crosland's ensuing RBI fielder's choice made it 12-2, while Michael Iannazzo roped a two-run single and Brayden Martin took home on a wild pitch shortly after to bring the lead to 15-2. Brayden Ryan then shut the door by retiring three Navy pinch-hitters to cap off the run-rule shortened victory.
 
Maryland starter Jake Yeager threw five innings for the win, allowing one unearned run on three hits while striking out five, and Andrew Koshy followed with a scoreless frame before Ryan pitched the final two innings and held Navy to one run on two hits.
 
While limited the Terps to one unearned run in his first three frames, Navy starter Ian Brown ended up with the loss after allowing six runs (four earned) in 3.1 innings. Sachin Gopal then pitched 1.2 innings of one-run ball, Mikey Plummer allowed a run in his inning of relief, Ryan Bibb got two outs without giving up a run, Spencer Stephens surrendered three runs in 0.2 innings, Aidan Healy was on the hook for four runs in 0.1 innings and Adyn Lucero got the final out for Navy.
 
Game Notes
• Navy is 51-42-2 in the all-time series with Maryland, as the Terps have taken the last 14 meetings.
• The 15 runs allowed are the most given up by Navy this season, marking only the third time the Mids have allowed double-digit runs in 2026.
• Cripe extended his hitting streak to six games, also tallying his sixth multi-hit game of the season.
• Walsh moved his on-base streak to 12-straight contests with his single.
 
Up Next
Navy will host Lafayette in a four-game Patriot League series Friday through Sunday.