Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Lafayette
Army Claims Share of Regular Season Title
May 06, 2018 | Baseball
WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Army West Point baseball team earned its 10th Patriot League Regular Season title on Sunday after sweeping a doubleheader from Lafayette.
Army started the day with an 11-1 seven-inning victory in the opener before taking an 8-1 win in the nightcap.
The two victories handled the Black Knights their first regular season crown since the 2014 season. Army wrapped up its conference slate with an 18-7 mark to finish tied for first with Navy. The Cadets will be the No. 2 seed in the upcoming league tournament, which is set to kick off Saturday.
Army welcomes the No. 3 seed in Bucknell for the conference semifinals in a best-of-three series. The two teams will play a twin bill on Saturday followed by a single game on Sunday, if it's needed. First pitch for both days is noon at Doubleday Field and all games will be carried live on the Patriot League Network.
The Black Knights controlled nearly the entire day receiving solid pitching and strong at bats. The Cadets used five pitchers throughout the doubleheader and the staff combined to allow just two runs. On the offensive side of the ball, Army outhit the Leopards, 22-14, while outscoring them, 19-2.
Rookie Anthony Giachin led the Black Knights with three runs batted in. Four other cadet-athletes registered two RBI each. Jon Rosoff touched home plate a team-high four times, followed by Josh White, Drake Titus and Giachin with three each.
Army jumped on things early in both contest, scoring seven runs in the opening three innings of Game 1 and six in the first three frames of the nightcap.
Lafayette was ultimately never able to recover.
Matt Ball and Cam Opp each added to their season wins total, shifting their record to 6-2 and 5-2, respectively.
ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES
- With the two victories on Sunday, the Black Knights reached 30 wins, which ranks tied for the sixth most all-time for a single season.
- Army's 18 league wins also matched a program record, which was first achieved during the 2012 season.
- On the day, the Black Knights compiled eight extra base hits, while the Leopards registered three.
- White and Martin both notched two doubles in the second game for their team-leading 11th of the year, respectively.
- McKenna and Rosoff posted one triple each in the opener. McKenna drilled his third of the year. Rosoff tallied his second.
- Rosoff, White and Giachin all notched four hits apiece throughout the twin bill to lead the Black Knights on offense.
- The Cadets drew 10 walks on the day to just three for the visitors.
- Jacob Hurtubise finished 2-for-2 on stolen base attempts in the doubleheader, shifting his season total to 36.
- Harry Flannery Jr., Jacob Carte and Sam Messina each saw action in relief. Flannery closed out the final inning of Game 1, allowing just one hit. Carte and Messina posted one and two innings of work in the second game. Carte gave up just one walk, while Messina allowed only one hit.
- Opp fanned a career-high 10 batters during his time on the hill.
- The Army pitching staff compiled 20 strikeouts in the games to just six for the Leopards.
- Both teams turned two double plays throughout the twin bill.
FACTS & FIGURES
- Army recorded 19 runs on 22 hits, while Lafayette finished with two runs on 14 hits.
- The Leopards registered the only errors on the day, earning 10.
- The Black Knights left 16 runners on base. The visitors stranded 12.
UP NEXT
- The Black Knights will travel to Albany on Tuesday for a 3 p.m. midweek game to close out their regular season schedule.
- Army will then host Bucknell in the Patriot League tournament semifinals. That three-game series will begin on Saturday with a twin bill followed by a single game on Sunday, if needed.
- First pitch is slated for noon on both days.
