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March 9, 2004
Annapolis, MD - The Navy baseball team scored a season-high nine runs to race past Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks for its third-straight win, 9-3, and avenge a pair of earlier losses to the Hawks Tuesday afternoon. The Midshipmen, who are 5-10, lost 2-1 and 3-2 on February 22 at UMES(2-15-1). The Mids pounded out 11 hits with four players - Craig Candeto, Ryan McGinn, Dean Farmer, and Matt Lukevics - recording a pair of hits. Lukevics drove in a season-high two runs, while Farmer scored three times. Chris Ashinhurst and Candeto extended their hitting streaks to six games. It was the third straight multi-hit game by Candeto. Entering the game, Navy's season-high for runs was six, which came against Old Dominion in an 8-6 loss Feb. 15. The 11 hits was the second most by Navy this season as it posted 13 in the same game versus the Monarchs. After Farmer, appearing for the first time after missing seven games because of an injury, scored a run in the second, Navy broke the game open with five runs in the third sending nine batters to the plate. Candeto began the breakout inning with a triple and scored on a wild pitch by Dereck Casper. Ashinhurst, who walked, stole second, and moved to third on Casper's wild pitch, tallied the second run on a balk. UMES reliever Sean Davis, who replaced Casper after walks to McGinn and Trevor Thompson, didn't fare much better. With two away, Farmer reached on a throwing error by Bobby Shaw. Thompson and McGinn scored on the error. Lukevics ended the scoring with a double to drive in Farmer.
The Hawks cut the lead to 6-2 in the top of the fifth when they touched
up Navy starter Rob Molinaro for a pair of runs. Molinaro, who tied his career-high with seven strikeouts in 4-1/3 innings, walked Graylon Kitchens to begin the inning and James Walls with one out before being replaced by Robert Herrick. A wild pitch by Herrick allowed Kitchens to score, while Walls scored on a hit by Peter Mayta.
The Mids responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 9-2 lead. Farmer began the inning with a single and moved to third with a pair of steals. A single by freshman Scott Pastell drove in Farmer for Pastell's first-career RBI. Pastell scored on Candeto's fourth double of the season. Candeto plated on errant throw on a single by McGinn. The Hawks looked to cut into the lead further in the sixth when they loaded the bases with one out against Elliot Anderson. Daniel Kovalcik came in for Navy and got out of the jam without allowing a run. Kovalcik, who earned his first win as a Mid, got the second out when he threw out Leon Tilghman at home on a fielder's choice. The rookie then got Joel Maher to ground out to third. The Hawks added a run in the ninth when Pete Mayta doubled to center, scoring James Walls who had reached on a single earlier in the inning. UMES next travels to Tallahassee, FL to take on the Rattlers of Florida A&M University, a team they fell to by one run in the MEAC Championships last season. They are 1:00 games on the 13th and 14th. story taken from U.S. Naval Academy Media Relations |
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