POMONA, N.Y. – Navy scored two runs in the seventh inning to force extra innings and then put up six runs in the eighth inning to come from behind and beat Army, 10-5, in eight innings.
The second game of the doubleheader was rained out and the Midshipmen won the Star over the Black Knights after winning two of the three games this weekend. Navy also clinched a spot in the Patriot League Tournament and will face top-seeded Lehigh next weekend in Bethlehem, Pa.
Navy's freshmen pair of Eduardo Diaz and Logan Keller guided the Midshipmen late in the game as they each had three-RBI doubles in the eighth inning to help Navy to the win. Keller finished with a 2-for-4 game with four RBIs and Diaz went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Colin Smith also had a multi-hit game after going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
For the third-straight game of the weekend, Navy scored the first runs of the game with a two-run second inning. With one out, Keller and Nico Valdez delivered back-to-back singles and Smith drove in the Midshipmen's first run of the game with an RBI single down the right-field line. Still with two runners on and one out, Alex Smith put Navy ahead by two runs with an RBI on a fielder's choice. Navy tried to turn an Army error into more runs, but it stranded two runners on base to end the inning.
The Midshipmen took their two-run lead into the third inning but Army pushed across two runs on three hits to tie the game at two after three innings. The Black Knights scored the next two runs of the game with a run in the fourth inning followed by a run in the fifth inning to grab a 4-2 lead.
Navy threatened in the sixth inning with two runners on base with two outs, but the Midshipmen were unable to cut into their deficit.
In the seventh inning, Army got the first out of the inning right off the bat, but the top of the Navy lineup got its rally going. Zane Raba and Diaz both sent singles out to left field to get the tying run on base. Christian. Policelli stretched his streak of reaching base safely to 25-straight games after he worked a walk to load the bases. Still, with one out in the inning, Zach Stevens chopped a ball just in front of home plate and as Army tried to go home to get the lead runner the ball got away from a diving Teddy Lepcio on the mound and everyone was safe.
Trailing by a run in the seventh inning with the bases still loaded, Keller drove in his first run of the game with a sacrifice fly out to centerfield to tie the game at four. A passed ball placed two runners in scoring position with two outs in the seventh inning but the Midshipmen could not break the draw.
During the home half of the seventh inning, Dalton Baker worked a 1-2-3 inning to keep the game tied and moved the contest into extra innings with game one of the scheduled doubleheader slated for seven innings.
Navy's offense kept rolling in the eighth inning and scored six runs on five hits against the Army bullpen. The offense for the Midshipmen got rolling once again with one out in the inning. Alex Smith and Joe Simourian both singled and after a pitching change, Raba loaded the bases with a walk. Diaz put Navy ahead with a double out to left-center field that cleared the bases and Navy held a 7-4 advantage. For the second time in the inning, the Midshipmen loaded the bases following a single from Policelli and a walk by Stevens. Keller broke the game open for Navy with a three-RBI double to the gap in left-center field to put Navy ahead, 10-4. The three-RBI single also put Keller atop the Patriot League in RBIs with 32 on the season in just 29 games.
Army did not go away quietly in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Black Knights scored a run with two outs in the inning and then loaded bases to put the tying run on deck. However, Trey Braithwaite struck out Army's cleanup hitter, Nick Manesis, to secure the win, 10-5.
The two teams were slated to finish the series with a nine-inning game after the opening game of the day, but the contest was canceled due to rain, and Navy won the weekend series and the Star after winning two of the three games this weekend.
Baker grabbed the win for the Midshipmen after throwing three innings and allowing one run on two hits. Tommy Goodridge went four innings and allowed three runs where he finished with a game-high four punchouts.
Tanner Gresham suffered the loss after allowing six runs on four hits and two walks in an inning of work.
