ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Interstat) — Brady Hoar delivered a masterful pitching performance, and Bucknell’s offense struck early to secure a 3-1 victory over Navy in a Patriot League baseball game Sunday at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.

The win gave Bucknell a split of the three-game weekend series after the teams split a doubleheader on Saturday. The Bison improved to 9-11 overall, while the Midshipmen fell to 15-8.

The most important part of the game came in the very first inning, setting a tone that would last all afternoon. Bucknell’s Billy Fluharty led off with a single and was sacrificed to second. After a strikeout, designated hitter Garrett Mathias connected on a two-run home run to center field off Navy starter Owen Phypers, providing the Bison with a lead they would never relinquish.

That was all the support required for Hoar, Bucknell’s right-handed ace. He dominated the Midshipmen’s lineup, pitching seven shutout innings and allowing no hits. He walked one batter, hit another, and struck out two. The only Navy run was charged to him after he left the game, scoring on a groundout in the eighth inning. Hoar’s outing followed a six-inning, three-hit shutout performance against Lafayette on March 15.

Navy’s Phypers settled in after the rocky first, ultimately working seven innings and allowing three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts. Bucknell added an insurance run in the seventh when Fluharty singled home John Calabrese, who had doubled.

The Midshipmen threatened only twice. In the fifth, a bunt single and an error put a runner on, but he was caught stealing. Their lone run came in the eighth after Hoar departed. Reliever Jake Schultz entered with two runners in scoring position and allowed an RBI groundout to Navy catcher Will Howard before ending the threat with a strikeout. Schultz then pitched a perfect ninth, striking out two, to earn the save.

Fluharty led Bucknell’s nine-hit attack, going 4 for 5 with an RBI. Howard had two of Navy’s five hits and drove in their only run.

The result defied pregame projections from Interstat, whose simulator had predicted a 7-6 Navy victory and whose ELO system gave the Midshipmen a 58% probability to win.

Bucknell travels to face Mount Saint Mary’s on Tuesday. Navy will host Saint Joseph’s on Tuesday before preparing for a pivotal weekend series at service academy rival Army.