The Navy baseball team suffered a 6-3 loss to Patriot League rivals Bucknell on Sunday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Midshipmen, who took an early lead with a three-run first inning, failed to maintain their momentum and ended up splitting the league-opening four-game series. Navy finished the weekend at 9-11 overall and 2-2 in league play, while Bucknell shifted to 7-11 on the season and 2-2 in the league standings.
Bucknell was led by Kyle Lyons’ three hits and two runs batted in by Anthony Sherwin, who helped the team overcome the early Navy lead. Pitcher Ben Magovern bounced back after the first inning and threw six shutout frames, allowing only one player, Alex Smith, to tally multiple hits in the series finale.
After the first inning, Bucknell fought back, scoring five runs off Navy starter Thomas Russell in the fourth and fifth innings. Jackson Beattie took over for Russell and prevented the Bison from extending their lead over the next four innings before a Navy error in the ninth allowed Bucknell to score their final run of the game. Despite bringing the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, the Midshipmen failed to overcome Bucknell’s defense and secure a win.
Magovern was awarded the win after limiting Navy to three runs, while Russell was handed his second loss this season. Beattie finished with one unearned run allowed and two strikeouts, while Landon Kruer retired both batters he faced.
In his postgame comments, Navy coach Paul Kostacopoulos praised Beattie for his performance, saying, “Jackson’s done a good job (all season). He competes out there and he attacks some really good hitters.” Kostacopoulos also acknowledged that the team needed to work on getting timely hits.
Navy will now face Division II Frostburg State in a non-conference game on March 22. Despite the loss to Bucknell, the team remains confident and will continue to work on improving their mental game and subtle skills to prepare for upcoming matches.
Game Notes:
• Navy holds a 94-80-1 lead in the all-time series with Bucknell. • The last time Navy split a four-game weekend series with Bucknell was 2012 in Lewisburg. • Russell has recorded three-plus strikeouts in every appearance this season. • Beattie has now recorded five-or-more outs in his last three appearances out of the bullpen. • Alex Smith ends the weekend on an eight-game hitting streak, while Brock Murtha reached base safely in 10 consecutive games.