BETHLEHEM, Pa. (Interstat) — Matt Archibald authored a masterful performance on the mound, carrying a no-hit bid into the ninth inning as the Navy baseball team evened its Patriot League series with a 3-0 victory over Lehigh on Saturday evening at Legacy Park.

The Midshipmen (13-5, 1-1 Patriot League) scratched out single runs in the third, fourth and ninth innings to back Archibald’s historic outing, while the Mountain Hawks (3-11, 1-1) were shut out for the fourth time this season despite matching Navy’s total of seven hits.

The most important part of the game was Archibald’s dominant stretch from the second inning through the eighth. After allowing a single and a walk in the first inning, the right-hander retired 23 of the next 25 batters he faced. He did not allow another hit, with Lehigh’s only baserunners in that span coming on a walk in the fourth and another in the eighth. Archibald finished with nine strikeouts over eight innings, overpowering the Lehigh lineup with a sharp mix of pitches.

Navy provided him with just enough offense. In the third, Victor Izquierdo reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and scored on Andrew Manning’s two-out single to right field off Lehigh starter Max Treonze. An inning later, Chris Klug singled, stole second and came home on Tyler Cripe’s two-out RBI single to right center, extending the lead to 2-0.

Treonze was effective in a losing effort, allowing one earned run on three hits over five innings. Lehigh’s bullpen, however, could not keep the deficit at one. Navy added an insurance run in the ninth when Patrick Walsh walked, was advanced by a sacrifice bunt and scored on John Loudon’s two-out infield single.

Archibald returned to start the ninth inning seeking the complete-game no-hitter but was pulled after Owen Walewander led off with a clean single to right field. Reliever Tyler Grenn entered and immediately allowed another single to Trystan Crawford, putting the tying runs on base with no outs. Grenn then induced a fielder’s choice from Robbie Carvelli, with the lead runner forced at third, before striking out Jack Frankovic and pinch-hitter Ian Wirtz to end the game and secure the shutout.

The win was a bounce-back for Navy, which dropped the series opener 3-1 on Friday. Izquierdo and Carvelli each had two hits to lead their respective teams. Archibald’s performance continued a stellar stretch; he struck out nine and allowed one run over six innings in a win over Dartmouth the previous Saturday.

The victory improved Navy’s record away from home to 7-3 this season, while Lehigh fell to 1-5 at Legacy Park. The teams conclude the three-game series on Sunday afternoon.