ANNAPOLIS, Md. – No. 2 Navy swept Sunday’s doubleheader against No. 3 Holy Cross to advance to the 2024 Patriot League Baseball Championship Series against the winner of No. 1 Army West Point and No. 4 Bucknell.
 
The Midshipmen evened the series with a 7-3 victory in game two before securing a 6-2 series-clinching win in game three to advance to the Patriot League Championship Series for the first time since 2019.
 
No. 1 Army West Point and No. 4 Bucknell resume their series on Monday, May 13. Live coverage of game two between the Black Knights and Bison begins at 1 p.m. on ESPN+. If necessary, game three will begin 45 after the conclusion of game two.
 
Coverage for each game of the 2024 Patriot League Baseball Championship will be available live on ESPN+. For more information, visit CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL.
 
No. 2 Navy def. No. 3 Holy Cross (Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium/Annapolis, Md.)

Date	Game	Time/Results	Coverage
Saturday, May 11	Semifinals – Holy Cross at Navy	Holy Cross, 10-5	ESPN+
Sunday, May 12	Semifinals – Holy Cross at Navy	Navy, 7-3	ESPN+
Sunday, May 12	Semifinals – Holy Cross at Navy (if necessary)	Navy, 6-2	ESPN+

No. 4 Bucknell at No. 1 Army West Point (Johnson Stadium at Doubleday Field/West Point, N.Y.)

Date	Game	Time/Results	Coverage
Saturday, May 11	Semifinals – Bucknell at Army West Point	Bucknell, 4-3	ESPN+
Monday, May 13	Semifinals – Bucknell at Army West Point	1:05 p.m.	ESPN+
Monday, May 13	Semifinals – Bucknell at Army West Point (if necessary)	TBA	ESPN+

 


2024 Patriot League Baseball Championship – Semifinal Round
AT NO. 2 NAVY MIDSHIPMEN (28-21, 15-10 PL), NO. 3 HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (26-27, 14-11 PL)
Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium/Annapolis, Md.
 
GAME 2: At No. 2 Navy 7, No. 3 Holy Cross 3 | BOX SCORE
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Freshman RHP Brady Bendik tossed eight innings to earn the win in No. 2 Navy’s 7-3 victory over No. 3 Holy Cross to force a third game in the best two-of-three-game Patriot League Baseball Championship semifinal series.
*Bendik, the three-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week, scattered five hits, allowing three runs, through 8.0 innings while striking out five and walking three.
*Freshman DH Andrew Manning led the Mids’ offense, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and one run scored.
*Senior CF Hudson Lehnertz, sophomore 2B Brock Murtha and senior RF Zane Raba also posted two-hit games in the Mids’ victory.
*For the second consecutive game, Navy exploded for five runs in the bottom of the first inning, as senior SS Eduardo Diaz singled to center field to drive in the first run of the game.
*A bases-loaded triple from Manning cleared the bases before he scored on senior 3B Logan Keller’s sacrifice fly.
*Crusaders’ DH Gianni Royer doubled in the top of the second inning and scored on a ground out by freshman left fielder John LeFleur to put Holy Cross on the scoreboard, making the score 5-1.
*The Mids extended their lead to 7-1 in the third inning on back-to-back RBI singles from senior left fielder Anthony Fiallo and senior right fielder Zane Raba.
*Holy Cross scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning, as senior Patrick Casserly and senior 1B Chris Baillargeon both drew bases-loaded walks to drive in a pair of runs.
*Navy junior RHP Landon Kruer came on to record the game’s final out to earn his eighth save of the season.

GAME 3: At No. 2 Navy 6, No. 3 Holy Cross 2 | BOX SCORE
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Freshman 1B Victor Izquierdo went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, and senior RHP Matthew Shirah allowed one run over five innings to earn the win as No. 2 Navy defeated No. 3 Holy Cross, 6-2, to advance to the Patriot League Baseball Championship Series.
Shirah tossed 5.0 innings to earn the win, allowing one run on two hits with six strikeouts and three walks.
*The Mids opened the scoring in the third inning, as Lehnertz’s sacrifice bunt scored freshman catcher Jack Killelea. Diaz and Izquierdo followed with RBI singles to take a 3-0 lead.
*Holy Cross answered in the top of the fifth as freshman catcher Van Coughlin singled to left field to drive in a run.
*Izquierdo extended Navy’s lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two-run double into the gap in left-center field.
*Crusaders’ junior SS Jimmy King scored in the top of the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly from Coughlin to cut the Mids’ lead to 5-2.
*Manning led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a double before Keller doubled down the third base line to drive him in for an insurance run for the Mids, making the score 6-2.
*Kruer tossed 2.0 innings of shutout relief and struck out four to seal the series for the Midshipmen.
*Holy Cross junior centerfielder Connor Cooney went 2-for-3 with one run scored, while Coughlin went 1-for-2 with two RBIs in the loss.
RECAPS: HOLY CROSS | NAVY
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth 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 who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.