CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – No. 1 Navy (38-15, 18-7 PL) and No. 3 Army West Point (32-23, 15-10 PL) advanced to the Patriot League Baseball Championship Series for the second season in a row at the conclusion of the semifinal round on Sunday.
 
The top-seeded Midshipmen swept No. 4 Lafayette (19-33, 12-13 PL), by taking game two, 10-2, in 12 innings. The Black Knights defeated No. 2 Holy Cross (22-32, 15-10 PL), 5-3, in the third game of the series on Sunday night.
 
Navy will host Army West Point in the 2019 Patriot League Championship Series at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The championship series is best two-of-three games, with game one scheduled for Friday, May 17.
 
The Patriot League Baseball Championship Series will be streamed live on the Patriot League Network (PLN). For more information on the 2019 Patriot League Baseball Championships CLICK HERE.
 
2019 PATRIOT LEAGUE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS – SEMIFINAL ROUND
AT NO. 1 NAVY MIDSHIPMEN (38-15, 18-7 PL), NO. 4 LAFAYETTE LEOPARDS (19-33, 12-13 PL)
Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium/Annapolis, Md.
GAME 1 (May 11): NAVY 3, LAFAYETTE 0 | BOX SCORE
GAME 2 (May 12): NAVY 10, LAFAYETTE 2 | BOX SCORE
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy scored eight runs in the top of the 12th inning to defeat Lafayette, 10-2, advancing to the Patriot League Baseball Championship Series for the second consecutive season.
*Sophomore left fielder Ryan Duffey singled to drive in the go-ahead run in the 12th inning, four runs were walked in, freshman right fielder Matt Wolff had a two-run single and freshman catcher Christian Policelli drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the explosive half inning.
*Freshman right-handed pitcher Trent Topping pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory.
*The Mids took the lead in the top of the second inning on Joe Simourian’s sacrifice fly. Lowery extended the lead with an RBI double in the top of the seventh.
*The Leopards cut the lead in half in the bottom of the when junior left fielder Trey Durrah scored on freshman second baseman Zach Savage’s ground out.
*Senior first baseman Richard Villa’s double drove in senior third baseman Spencer Rouse to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth inning.
*The Mids and Leopards moved runners into scoring position in both the 10th and 11th inning before Navy broke out for eight runs in the 12th inning.
*Junior third baseman Jacob Williamson went 2-for-6 with three runs scored while senior right fielder Liam Lowery went 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI in the win. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jared Leins started the game, going 7.2 innings while allowing one run on two hits and striking out nine, but did not earn a decision.
RECAPS: NAVY | LAFAYETTE
 
NO. 3 ARMY WEST POINT BLACK KNIGHTS (32-23, 15-10 PL) AT NO. 2 HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (22-32, 15-10 PL)
Fitton Field/Worcester, Mass.
GAME 1 (May 11): ARMY WEST POINT 5, HOLY CROSS 1 | BOX SCORE
GAME 2 (May 11): HOLY CROSS 6, ARMY WEST POINT 4 | BOX SCORE
GAME 3 (May 12): ARMY WEST POINT 5, HOLY CROSS 3 | BOX SCORE
WORCESTER, Mass. – Army West Point junior center fielder Jacob Hurtubise went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, one run scored and a stolen base to lead the Black Knights to a 5-3 victory over Holy Cross to advance to the Patriot League Championship Series.
*Hurtubise became the Patriot League’s career stolen base leader, swiping his 100th base in the second inning.
*Senior right-handed pitcher Daniel Burggraaf earned the victory, allowing one run on two hits over 6.0 innings while striking out nine batters.
*Sophomore third baseman Anthony Giachin doubled to center field to score Hurtubise to give the Black Knights a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
*Hurtubise drove in a run in the top of the second inning with a single to left field to score sophomore catcher Blake Ledoux.
*In the top of the fourth inning Hurtubise doubled down the right field line to drive in Ledoux, putting the Black Knights in front 3-0.
*Junior first baseman John McKenna scored in the top of the fifth inning when junior designated hitter Jeremiah Adams reached base on a throwing error to increase the lead to 4-0.
*Ledoux singled to center field to drive in Adams, giving Army West Point a 5-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning.
*Holy Cross got on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning when sophomore left fielder David Kale tripled to drive in senior Kellen McCormick, making the score 5-1.
*The Crusaders cut further into the Black Knights’ lead in the bottom of the eighth inning when junior shortstop Chris Rinaldi doubled to drive in junior Jared Enders.
*The Crusaders added one more run in the bottom of the ninth inning when freshman Nate Wolf’s sacrifice fly scored junior first baseman Alex Volpi. But senior second baseman Alex Gionis was tagged out at second for leaving the base early on the play to help Army West Point sophomore right-hander Harry Flannery Jr. pick up the save after recording two outs in the ninth.
RECAPS: HOLY CROSS | ARMY WEST POINT
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE 
The Patriot League is in its third decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.