ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Lafayette Baseball team nearly delivered walk-off hits in the ninth and eleventh innings, but in the end top-seeded Navy erupted for eight runs to clinch the best-of-three semifinal series 10-2 at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.

Following a 3-0 setback to the Mids behind their ace Noah Song on Saturday, the Leopards needed a win in game two to force a deciding game. With the start pushed back four hours due to weather, Junior left-hander Brett Kreyer delivered 6-1/3 solid innings, allowing only a pair of runs. Navy's Jared Leins handcuffed the Lafayette hitters through seven scoreless before Zach Savage's groundout in the eighth plated Trey Durrah who had led off the inning with a single.

Playing as the home team in game 2 per Patriot League rules, the Leopards nearly had a walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth inning when senior Richard Villa hit an 0-1 pitch to deep left. It was a ball that likely would have left the yard on a warmer night but head coach Joe Kinney's club had to settle for a game-tying RBI double that scored Spencer Rouse.

Two innings later junior Brandon Posivak legged out an infield single, his second hit of the year, and advanced to third on Dan Leckie's two-out single. Freshman Dylan Minghini's line drive appeared destined for left field but Navy third baseman Jacob Williamson was able to making a diving stop and throw Minghini out at first to end the inning and preserve the deadlock.

"We had nothing going for seven innings but we were able to scratch out two runs and tie it to send it to extras," Kinney told the Lafayette Sports Network. "In the ninth Richie Villa hits a ball that is a foot or two from being a home run to win it. Their third baseman makes a hell of a play in the eleventh with a runner on third and two outs to save a run. Then things kind of fell apart for us in the twelfth inning."

After Kreyer had battled through an 121-pitch outing, Kyle Johnson, Michael Dunn and Frank Craska delivered 4-2/3 innings of scoreless baseball to give the Leopards those two opportunities to win it. A trio of relievers followed Craska and were not able to continue the scoreless stretch as the Mids erupted for eight runs in the twelfth inning.

The 2019 Lafayette team returned the program to the postseason for the first time since 2015 and Kinney wanted to recognize the eight seniors who wore the Maroon and White for the final time.

"They stayed with it and got us back in the playoffs this year," said Kinney. "That is because of their leadership, guidance and performance on the field. We are certainly going to miss all eight of them and wish them great things in the future which I know they will achieve."

In addition to a fourth place finish in the Patriot League regular season, the Leopards placed two players, freshman Justin Johnson and junior Trey Durrah, on the All-Patriot League first team and another pair, senior Spencer Rouse and sophomore Ethan Stern, on the second unit. Johnson was honored as the Patriot League Rookie of the Year and senior Richard Villa was recognized on the Academic All-Patriot League team.

Navy awaits the winner of the other semifinal series between No. 2 Holy Cross and No. 3 Army West Point. The deciding game of that best-of-three series was delayed by weather but is expected to be completed either late Sunday night or early Monday morning.

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