Baseball Drops Opening Game of Patriot League Championship - Naval Academy Athletics (2024)

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Despite senior Eduardo Diaz homering twice, the Navy baseball team (28-22) could not overcome rival Army (30-21) in the opening game of the 2024 Patriot League Championship Series, as the Black Knights battled back from an early deficit for an 11-8 win over the Midshipmen on Sunday afternoon at Johnson Stadium at Doubleday Field.

While the Mids were able to outhit their opponent, 14-11, and get three-hit performances from both Diaz and fellow senior Logan Keller, the Black Knights had eight of its nine starters drive in at least a run, highlighted by William Parker's three-run home run.

Navy sprinted out to an early lead when Diaz singled with one down in the top of the first inning, followed by sophom*ore Brock Murtha doubling off the top of the left-center wall and fellow sophom*ore Victor Izquierdo roping his own double down the left-field line to plate Diaz and Murtha.

Army bounced back in the bottom of the second inning courtesy of Braden Golinski walking and Coleson Titus doubling to start the frame, while an Ethan Ellis single knocked in Golinski and Addison Ainsworth's sacrifice bunt plated Titus. Back-to-back singles from Derek Berg and Chris Barr drove in two more runs before Parker blasted his three-run shot out to right-center to make it 7-2 Army.

Putting runners on second and third in the fourth inning, the Mids chipped away at the Army lead when senior Zane Raba scored Keller on a groundout and senior Hudson Lehnertz beat out an infield single to let freshman Jack Killelea cross home. Diaz's first two-run shot out to left field then pulled it within one run at 7-6, but Army re-extended the lead to 8-6 in the home half of the inning on Sam Ruta's sacrifice fly.

The fifth saw more Army offense, as Golinski homered to lead off the frame and an RBI double from Ainsworth was followed by Thomas Schreck's RBI single.

After leaving the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, Navy finally broke through again in the eighth when Lehnertz doubled to open the inning and brought up Diaz, who cranked another two-run homer down the left-field line. Putting in Steven Graver, Army quelled the Navy rally by retiring the next six Mids in order to close out the Game One victory.

Handed the loss, sophom*ore Tyler Grenn went three innings in his start for Navy, giving up eight runs on seven hits. Senior Nolan Jorgenson followed by surrendering three runs on three hits over two frames, while junior Owen Beisty pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief and sophom*ore Jackson Beattie logged the final 1.1 scoreless innings for the Mids.

Starter Justin Lehman lasted 4.1 innings for Army, allowing six runs on 10 hits, while Andrew Berg picked up the win by going 2.2 innings and limiting Navy to two runs on four hits and Graver notched the save by striking out two in two no-hit innings.

Game Notes
• Navy is now 131-132 in the all-time series with Army.
• Diaz is the first Navy batter to hit two homers in a game since Zach Stevens against Georgetown on May 4, 2022.
• Diaz's first two-homer contest came on April 26, 2022 at Maryland.
• Diaz has now tallied a career-high four RBI three times this season.
• Murtha has now recorded five-straight two-hit performances.
• Killelea has now registered hits in 10 of his last 12 games, including multi-hit contests in three of his last four games.

Up Next
Navy will look to extend the series to a deciding game three tomorrow, with the second game of the Patriot League Championship Series set for 1 p.m. Monday.