ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Interstat) — Brady Bendik continued his dominant stretch on the mound, and the Navy lineup erupted for six runs in a marathon second inning to power the Midshipmen past Lafayette 9-1 in Patriot League baseball action Friday evening at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.

The game’s decisive turn came in the bottom of the second inning, transforming a 1-0 Lafayette lead into a commanding Navy advantage. After the Midshipmen scratched across a run on John Hooten’s RBI triple and another on a wild pitch to take a 2-1 lead, the floodgates opened. With two runners on, first baseman Victor Izquierdo launched a three-run homer to left field, clearing the bases. Navy was not done, as Andrew Manning tripled and scored on an RBI single from Evan Brown, capping a six-run, seven-hit outburst that gave the Midshipmen a 6-1 lead they would not relinquish.

Bendik, Navy’s top star, was the story on the mound. The right-hander delivered 7 2/3 strong innings, allowing one earned run on eight hits while striking out nine and walking none. He effectively quieted the Leopards’ bats after a first-inning run, retiring 10 consecutive batters at one point. His performance followed a seven-inning, two-hit shutout of Lehigh on April 4.

Navy added to its lead in the fifth inning when Chris Klug hit a two-run homer, and another run scored on a wild pitch to make it 9-1. The Midshipmen offense amassed 15 hits, with Izquierdo driving in three runs on his home run and a triple. Patrick Walsh went 3 for 5 with a double, while Tyler Cripe and Manning each added two hits.

Lafayette’s lone run came in the first inning. Liam Ebbs led off with a double and later scored on a single up the middle by Matt Colella. The Leopards managed eight hits but stranded multiple runners, going 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position. Leopards reliever Antonio Correa provided a bright spot with three perfect innings of relief, striking out three.

The result improved Navy’s record to 19-13 overall and gave them a positive start to the league series. Lafayette fell to 7-22. The teams are scheduled for a doubleheader Saturday to continue the series.

The lopsided outcome defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 5-3 Lafayette victory, though the firm’s ELO rating system had favored Navy with a 69.2% win probability.