ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Despite racking up five runs and eight hits over the first four innings, the Navy baseball team (3-8) could not figure out the late-game pitching of UMass (4-3-1), with the Midshipmen losing an 8-5 contest Friday evening at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
 
In a game that featured eight different Mids recording a hit and saw sophomore Andrew Manning tally two RBI, the visiting Minutemen got shutout pitching from Robbie O'Connor and Andrew Middleton over the final six innings while Jack Peters raked a three-hit, two-run performance at the plate.
 
Both teams found their way onto the scoreboard in the first inning, as a pair of UMass two-out walks followed by two Navy errors on the same play brought in two Minutemen in the top of the frame, while Navy freshman Noah Ditas led off the bottom of the first with a single and eventually came across the plate on junior Brock Murtha's opposite-field ground-rule double to cut the UMass advantage to 2-1.
 
With sophomore starter Brady Bendik retiring the side in each of the next three frames, the Mids got to work supporting their pitcher. The second saw rookie Ty DePerno single to lead off the frame and come around to score on junior Victor Izquierdo's own single, while Navy nearly scored another run on a bunt play at home that was eventually overturned into an out. Back-to-back hit-by-pitches to begin the third then put two Mids on for Manning, who ripped a bases-clearing double into the right-center gap to hanf Navy the lead, while a passed ball and sophomore Jack Killelea's single then brought Manning in for the fifth Navy run.
 
After struggling early in his start, O'Connor battled to keep his team in the game by allowing just one hit over his final three innings, with the Minutemen backing him up with a four-run fifth inning highlighted by Jack Beverly's two-run single and two-run sixth inning that saw UMass score twice on wild pitches.
 
Taking over for O'Connor, Middleton worked out of jams with two runners on base in both the seventh and eighth innings before striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth to close out UMass' win.
 
O'Connor finished with four earned runs allowed in six innings, allowing eight hits and one walk while striking out two to pick up the victory, while Andrew Middleton notched the three-inning save by striking out nine despite walking four batters.
 
For Bendik, he suffered the loss after giving up six runs (four earned) in 4.2 innings, issuing three hits and three walks despite four strikeouts, while senior right-hander Owen Beisty was on the hook for two runs in his 0.2 innings. Freshman lefty Spencer Stephens then pitched 1.2 innings and struck out three before junior Adyn Lucero shut out UMass over the final two frames.
 
Game Notes
• Navy is now 7-5 in the all-time series with UMass.
• Murtha extended his hit streak to five games.
• Henry Mitchell now has a 13-game on-base streak dating back to 2023.
• DePerno has reached base safely in seven-straight games.
• Stephens has not allowed a hit or run in his last three appearances.
 
Up Next
Navy and UMass continue the series on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.