Army Black Knights Drop Sunday Doubleheader

WEST POINT  – The Army West Point baseball team fell twice Sunday afternoon to rival Navy.
 
The Mids took the twin bill 7-2 and 10-6 to earn the 3-1 series victory. With the outcomes on Sunday, Navy earned the final Star of the 2016-17 season.
 
John McCarthy led the Black Knights, finishing 2-for-6 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI. Alex Dickerson also went yard in the doubleheader, adding two hits and three RBI. Kris Lindner and Trey Martin chipped in two hits each as well with Lindner accounting for three runs on the day.
 
Jeremy Mortensen and Matt Ball were both tabbed with losses, shifting their overall records to 2-5 and 1-2, respectively. In Game 1, Mortensen pitched 4.1 innings allowing seven hits and two runs, while Ball finished giving up one hit and two runs in 2.0 innings of relief work in the nightcap.
 
It was a pitcher’s duel for much of the opening game as neither team managed to cross home plate until the fifth. Navy broke the scoreless deadlock with a leadoff solo shot to left field. After the first out of the inning, the Mids tallied back-to-back doubles to take a 2-0 edge.
 
Navy added two additional runs in the sixth to create a 4-0 gap between the teams. Army responded in the bottom half of that inning though with McCarthy’s fourth home run of the year. His one-out long ball also brought home Lindner, who had singled during the previous at bat.
 
Unfortunately, the Mids tacked on three more runs, including a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the seventh to ultimately secure the win.
 
In Game 2, Navy jumped in front 5-0 after a five-run second inning. The Black Knights cut into that lead in the bottom of the second after Dickerson went yard over the left field fence. His fourth long ball of the season also reeled in McCarthy, who had led off the inning with a walk.
 
The following inning, Army tied things up at 5-5 after Lindner, McCarthy and Dickerson all notched an RBI. Jacob Hurtubise, McCarthy, and Dickerson each registered singles during the rally.