Navy baseball team defeated Holy Cross 7-5 in the first game and 5-2 in the second game of a Patriot League doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field. The Midshipmen now tally a combined 23 hits between the two games and record a 14-13, 7-3 PL season.
In the first game, Nate Mitchell threw eight innings, giving up only one earned run, and Alex Smith's RBI double in extra innings gave Navy a 7-5 win. Smith was also a key player in the second game, hitting two RBIs and extending his on-base streak to 15 games. Liam Golden held the Crusaders to one run in five innings in the second game, helping Navy clinch the 5-2 victory.
The Navy offense was also a standout in the first game, with three players tallying three-hit performances, and Logan Keller and Kyle Rausch each driving in two runs. The Mids lost their early lead when Sean Scanlon of Holy Cross put a solo shot over the right-field fence in the bottom of the first inning, but the Mids were able to retake the lead in the top of the third.
In the second game, Smith drove in a run on both of his hits, and Diaz registered three hits, the most by the Navy shortstop since he recorded a four-hit game at Holy Cross in April 2022. Golden has not given up more than two earned runs in any of his starts this season.
Navy is now 85-52 against Holy Cross all-time and has won the last four meetings with the Crusaders. This is also the first time that the Mids have had an overall winning record since March 11, 2022, when they swept a doubleheader from Marist to move to 7-6.
Head coach Paul Kostacopoulos praised Smith for his contributions on both offense and defense, saying, "He controls running games so well on defense behind the plate. Offensively, I give him a lot of credit as he stuck with an approach that wasn't paying off as much early but now it's starting to pay off and he's really done a great job leading us overall."
Navy will head to rival Army on Monday, April 3, for another Patriot League doubleheader in West Point, N.Y. First pitch between the Mids and Black Knights is set for 1 p.m. from Johnson Stadium at Doubleday Field.
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