May 23, 2011

Rankings are from CBI Composite Poll

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Around the Bases
Navy & Army split DH, Patriot title to be decided Tuesday

Navy's Nelson shines in Game 1, Army's Henshaw goes deep twice in nightcap

Around the Tournaments

Patriot League 

#1 Navy 4-3, #2 Army 3-6

In Annapolis, Md., Navy and Army split a doubleheader in the Patriot League Championship Series Monday in front of 1,276 fans at Max Bishop Stadium, forcing a deciding game on Tuesday afternoon.

In the opener, Ben Nelson shut down the Black Knights (22-25) for eight innings before running into trouble in the ninth. The Midshipmen (32-23-1) held a 4-0 lead after eight. Nelson (6-5, 8.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) allowed two hits and no runs through eight innings before surrendering two hits and a walk in the ninth before exiting with a 4-1 advantage. Preston Gainey came in and watched a pair of runs score on an error and the tying run reach third with one out. But he got a strikeout and a flyout to end the threat and record his fourth save. Navy scored twice in the first and added single runs in the second and seventh. Nick Driscoll went 2 for 3 with two RBI, while Alex Azor was 1 for 2 with three walks and two runs for the Middies. Joey Henshaw went 2 for 4 with a double, one run and one RBI for Army.

In the second game, Henshaw blasted a pair of home runs to power Army past Navy and tie the series. After the Knights scored two in the first, Andrew Hahn (3 for 4, 3 RBI) smacked a two-run homer to knot the score at 2. Henshaw’s three-run blast in the third put Army ahead to stay. After the Middies got a run in the fourth to make it 5-3, Henshaw went deep again in the seventh for a 6-3 advantage. Clint Moore went 2 for 5 with two runs and one RBI for Army. Greg Dupell had two hits and a run for Navy. Chris Rowley (5-4, 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 3 K) picked up the victory, while Ben Koenigsfeld fanned three in the ninth for his eighth save.