The Navy baseball team (22-23, 14-11 PL) dominated Lehigh (20-25, 7-14 PL) in a run-rule-shortened game at J. David Walker Field at Legacy Park on Monday afternoon. The Midshipmen’s offense put together a 12-hit effort, while the pitching staff delivered its third-straight one-run outing to secure a 14-1 victory.
The win clinched a tie for second place in the league standings for Navy and secured the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Patriot League Championship. The Midshipmen will face off against second-seeded Bucknell in a semifinal series in two weeks.
Matthew Shirah pitched a strong game for Navy, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out four over five innings. Alex Smith led the Mids’ offense with three hits, and four different players racked up multi-hit performances. Colin Smith’s three-run home run in the fifth inning extended Navy’s lead to 7-1, and the Mids put the game away with a seven-run sixth inning.
Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos praised his team’s solid play throughout the weekend, saying, “We played a complete game today as far as offense, defense and pitching to finish with the series win.” Kostacopoulos also noted the team’s tough upcoming schedule, with games against George Mason and Elon this week.
Despite the loss, Lehigh’s Tyler Young drove in the Mountain Hawks’ only run of the game on a bases-loaded groundout in the second inning. Teddy Tolliver took the loss for Lehigh, allowing three runs in 3.2 innings of work.
The win gives Navy a 98-53 edge in the all-time series with Lehigh and marks the team’s first weekend series win at Lehigh since 2019. Navy also leads the Patriot League with 40 double plays on defense this season.
Navy will host George Mason in the Mids’ final midweek game of the season on Wednesday, May 3, before heading into the Patriot League Championship semifinals against Bucknell. Coach Kostacopoulos emphasized the importance of playing at a high level in preparation for the postseason, saying, “We need to compete at the highest level we can to get ready for the postseason.”