Feb. 17, 2006
NORFOLK, VA--The U.S. Naval Academy (5-0-1)scored seven runs in the firstthree innings and held on to defeat the Monarchs of Old Dominion University (5-1), 7-6Friday in the first of a three-game series at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.
In the first inning Jared Munde tripled home Renaldo Hollins and Mitch Harriswith two outs. Ryan McGinn then singled home Munde. The Midshipmen then scoredThree more on a homerun by Jonathan Johnston. The final run for Navy was unearnedRun in the third as Hollins singled home B.J. Bickel.
ODU mounted a rally as Bryan Cipolla (Plainview, NY.) slammed a three run homer in the sixth scoring Mike Zahm (Omaha, NE) and Jimmy Miles (Orlando, Fl.), then in the seventh he singled in Keenan and Miles. The Monarchs cut it to one, at 7-6 when Jesse Schoendienst' (Belcamp, MD.) sacrifice fly plated Justin Gregula(Washington, PA. ) in the eighth. ODU then put the lead runner on in the ninth, but Navy's Ryan Hefner came on and retired the next three batters.
Jonathan Johnston led Navy with three hits and three runs batted in, while JimmyMiles led ODU with three hits and Cipolla had five RBI. Freshman Dan Hudson (Princess Anne HS-VA. Beach) came on in relief in the second inning and pitched seven innings allowing just one unearned run, striking out five. Mitch Harris won his third game of the season for the Naval Academy, fanning seven in five-plus innings.
The same two teams play again on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Navy 331 000 000 -7-12-4ODU 000 003 210 -6-10-2Navy: Harris, Koessler, (6), White(8) Hefner (9) and Johnston.ODU: Hansen, Hudson(2), Arrowood(9) and BelcherWP: Harris (3-0) LP: Hansen (1-1) HR: ODU- Cipolla (2) Navy-Johnston(1).