ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Holy Cross baseball team split a Saturday twinbill at Patriot League opponent Navy winning the seven inning game one 6-2 before falling to the host Midshipmen 7-3 in the second contest Saturday afternoon at Max Bishop Stadium.
Holy Cross moves to 20-20, 11-7 PL on the year while Navy is 22-18, 13-8 PL. The game one victory gave the Crusaders their first season series win against the Midshipmen since the 2015 season. Holy Cross was won seven of their last 10 games.
Sophomore left fielder
John LaFleur extended his hitting streak to 10 games going a combined 3-for-6 in both contests with a pair of doubles, two RBI and a run scored. LaFleur is hitting .333 (12-of-36) with a home run, nine RBI, three doubles, and four runs scored during the streak. Classmate
Gianni Royer posted his second three hit game of the campaign in game one.
Junior
Danny Macchiarola hurled six strong innings during the game one victory earning a win for the first time since March 22 at Lehigh.
GAME ONE: HOLY CROSS 6, NAVY 2 (7 INN.)
STARTING ON THE MOUND:
- Junior Danny Macchiarola: (W, 5-4), six innings pitched, five hits allowed, two earned runs, two walks, six strikeouts.
- Brady Bendik: (L, 4-4), 6.2 innings pitched, 10 hits allowed, six runs – two earned, one walk, six strikeouts.
OUT OF THE BULLPEN:
- Senior Luke LeMond: 1.0 innings pitched, zero hits allowed, zero earned runs, zero walks, two strikeouts.
STEPPING TO THE PLATE:
- Sophomore Gianni Royer: 3-for-4, double, three runs scored.
- Senior Sean Scanlon: 2-for-4, double, RBI.
- Sophomore John LaFleur: 2-for-3, two doubles, RBI, run scored.
- Junior CJ Egrie: 1-for-3, run scored
- Senior Jimmy King: 1-for-4, double, two RBI.
- Victor Izquierdo: 1-for-3, double, RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- With two outs in the top of the third, Egrie flared a first pitch single for the Crusaders first hit of the game. LaFleur plated his teammate from first base pulling an RBI double into the right centerfield gap for the 1-0 lead.
- Royer led off the fourth frame doubling into left center field. Scanlon brought home his teammate via a fly ball down the right field line to make it 2-0.
- An RBI fielder's choice from Navy cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth.
- A wild pitch in the sixth increased the Holy Cross edge to 3-1.
- Navy doubled home a run in the sixth to come within one, 3-2.
- A sacrifice fly off the bat of senior Chris Baillargeon added an important insurance tally in the top of the seventh increasing the lead to 4-2. King cleared the bases with a first pitch double upping the advantage to 6-2.
GAME TWO: NAVY 7, HOLY CROSS 3 (FINAL)
STARTING ON THE MOUND:
- Senior Sean Scanlon: (ND), 2.2 innings pitched, four hits allowed, two earned runs, two walks, one strikeout.
- Tyler Grenn (ND), 6.0 innings pitched, three hits allowed, three earned runs, three walks, four strikeouts.
OUT OF THE BULLPEN:
- Spencer Stephens: (W, 5-1), 2.0 innings pitched, one hit allowed, zero earned runs, one walk, zero strikeouts.
- Freshman Jake Lenahan: (L, 2-2), 1.1 innings pitched, five hits allowed, four earned runs, one walk, one strikeout.
- Landon Kruer: 1.0 innings pitched, zero hits allowed, zero earned runs, zero walks, one strikeout.
- Freshman Derek Volz: 4.0 innings pitched, two hits allowed, earned run, two walks, three strikeouts.
STEPPING TO THE PLATE:
- Senior Connor Peek: 1-for-3, double, RBI, run scored, walk.
- John LaFleur: 1-for-3, RBI.
- Jimmy King: 1-for-3, double, run scored, walk.
- Senior Brendan Jones: 1-for-4, double, RBI, run scored.
- Evan Brown: 3-for-4, two RBI, a walk.
- Brock Murtha: 2-for-4, home run, two RBI, two runs scored.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Holy Cross scored twice in the top of the second as Jones and Peek bashed back-to-back RBI doubles for the 2-0 lead.
- Navy put the first two men on base in the second. Peek rolled up a double play stepping on the third base bag and firing to first. Scanlon struck out the final batter of the frame.
- The Midshipmen hit a two out home run in the third to tie the contest 2-2. Navy loaded the bases with two outs and battled back from an 1-2 hole. Volz induced a foul pop to first to conclude the inning.
- Volz got a swinging strikeout in the fifth to strand the tying run at third.
- Two out hitting from Navy tied the game in the seventh at 3-3.
- Navy took the lead in the eighth via a sacrifice bunt to lead 4-3. Two out insurance runs put them ahead 7-3.
POSTGAME THOUGHTS:
DUE UP:
- Holy Cross concludes their weekend set at Navy on Sunday, April 20.
- First pitch for the nationally broadcast game on CBS Sports Network is slated for 2 p.m.
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