ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Monmouth University's baseball team came back to tie the game three times, but Robert Currie's walk-off double won the contest for Navy on Saturday afternoon, 4-3 at Max Bishop Stadium. Monmouth falls to 1-7 on the year, while Navy improves to 5-6.
Monmouth battled back in the ninth to tie the game, getting an RBI groundout from Kyle Perry (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) after Danny Avella (Matawan, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) and Craig Sweeney (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South) started the inning with singles. Navy won it in the bottom of the frame on Currie's walk-off ground-rule double after Leland Saile and Drew Hayes notched back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt moved them over.
MU starter T.J. Hunt (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo) went 5.2 innings, surrendering three runs on eight hits and striking out four. Frank Trimarco (Merrick, N.Y./Sanford H. Calhoun) tossed 2.2 in relief, allowing a run on four hits. Navy starter Stephen Moore threw eight innings, giving up two runs, one earned on four hits and striking out ten. Currie and Hayes both had three-hit days for the Midshipmen.
Navy manufactured a run in the bottom of the first, as Currie singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a wild pitch. He came home on Kash Manzelli's single to left, giving the home team an early 1-0 lead. Monmouth answered in the third, when Robbie Alessandrine (Sewell, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) led off with a fly ball to center that was misplayed by Currie, allowing Alessandrine to end up on third on the three base error. Steve Wilgus (Woolwich, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) grounded out to first, plating Alessandrine and tying the game at one.
Brandon Beans started the home fourth with a ground-rule double, and two batters later came home on a base hit by Saile. The teams traded runs in the sixth, with Monmouth's coming via Cary Jacobson (Los Angeles, Calif./Palisades), who came off the bench as a pinch-hitter to drive in Dan Shea (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum). Navy got it right back in the bottom of the frame, stringing together a run after Travis Blue's leadoff single. Blue moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and on to third on a wild pitch before scoring on Connor Deneen's double to center, giving Navy a 3-2 lead after six before the Mids won it in the bottom of the ninth.
MU closes out the weekend in Annapolis, Md. tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. against Penn at Max Bishop Stadium.
