Evan Brown’s grand slam lifted Navy to a 6-4 victory over Bucknell on Wednesday afternoon at Depew Field. The win marked the third straight for the Midshipmen, who now stand at 21-17 overall and 12-7 in Patriot League play.
Navy broke the game open with a six-run second inning. Victor Izquierdo doubled home Ty DePerno to start the scoring. Later, Brock Murtha was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, making it 2-0. Brown followed with a powerful swing, launching the ball over the right-center field fence for a grand slam, giving Navy a 6-0 lead.
Bucknell (13-22, 5-11 PL) began to chip away at the lead. In the fourth inning, Billy Kender and Ryan Facinelli drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks, narrowing the gap to 6-2. The Bison scored again in the sixth when Luke Nascimento was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Brady Karp then homered to right field in the seventh to make it a 6-4 game.
Despite the momentum shift, Navy’s bullpen held strong. Spencer Stephens pitched the final two innings, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and retiring the side in order in the ninth to earn the save.
Starter Matt Archibald went 3.2 innings for Navy, striking out five and giving up two runs. Adyn Lucero and Ryan Bibb followed, each allowing just one run in 1.2 innings of work. Lucero picked up the win, and Stephens closed the game with two strikeouts.
Bucknell’s AJ Murray took the loss after allowing three runs in 1.2 innings. Nick Mulvey gave up another three runs in 3.1 innings but struck out four. Hadley Maxwell kept Navy off the board for three innings, while Jonathan Adelmann pitched one scoreless frame with two strikeouts.
Coach Chuck Ristano praised his team’s resilience during a tough stretch of games.
“Today was a really good finish to an incredibly challenging stretch of travel and conference games,” Ristano said. “It wasn’t a perfect game—we left a lot of runners on base and only scored in one inning—but we made the big plays when it mattered. Brown’s homer gave us a huge boost, and Lucero, Bibb, and Stephens were key in holding the lead.”
Ristano also acknowledged the team’s ability to adapt amid injuries.
“We’ve had some tough breaks, but new faces have stepped up when we needed them,” he said. “Everyone is playing their part, and that’s what makes this group special.”
Up Next
Navy returns home to host Holy Cross for a three-game weekend series. Saturday’s doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. on ESPN+ and will celebrate Senior Day. Sunday’s series finale also starts at 1 p.m. and will air on CBS Sports Network.
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