BETHLEHEM, Pa. (Interstat) — In a Patriot League opener that defied pregame projections, the Lehigh Mountain Hawks capitalized on a decisive third inning and rode a combined pitching gem to a 3-1 victory over the Navy Midshipmen on Friday evening at Legacy Park.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected an 8-2 Navy win, giving the Midshipmen a 55.4% probability of victory. Instead, Lehigh, which entered the game with a 2-10 record, handed Navy just its fifth loss against 12 wins.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the bottom of the third inning, erasing Navy’s early lead and establishing the final margin. Trailing 1-0, Lehigh’s Silvio Giardina and Dom Patrizi led off with back-to-back singles against Navy starter Brady Bendik. Designated hitter Raffaele Rogers then tied the game with an RBI double down the left-field line. Aidan Quinn followed with a single to shortstop, driving in Patrizi to give Lehigh a 2-1 lead. Ryan Cochran capped the rally with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Rogers.

That three-run outburst was all the support Lehigh’s pitching staff required. Starter Sam Fairhurst, tabbed as the top star for the Mountain Hawks, earned the win with five strong innings of relief. He allowed one run on four hits, striking out seven. He entered in the top of the sixth inning after starter Christopher Nell set the tone with four scoreless innings, yielding just one hit and fanning five.

Navy’s lone run came in the sixth off Fairhurst. Mason Ceccarelli, who went 2 for 3, led off with a double and advanced to third on a single by Victor Izquierdo. Ty DePerno then grounded into a double play, but Ceccarelli scored on the play.

Bendik took the hard-luck loss for Navy despite a dominant strikeout performance. Over seven innings, he allowed three earned runs on six hits while striking out 10. Jackson Clark pitched a perfect eighth inning in relief. Bendik’s effort was overshadowed by the third-inning outburst and Navy’s inability to solve Lehigh’s pitchers, managing only five hits total and striking out 15 times.

Lehigh’s defense was pivotal, turning two double plays to stifle Navy threats. The Mountain Hawks improved to 3-10 overall and 1-0 in the Patriot League. Navy fell to 12-5 and 0-1.

The two teams continue their three-game series on Saturday afternoon.