ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Interstat) — In a pitchers’ duel defined by squandered opportunities and defensive execution, Evan Brown’s RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning finally broke a scoreless deadlock and lifted Navy to a 1-0 victory over Lafayette in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader.

The game, played on April 11, 2026, saw both teams collect nine hits but fail to capitalize repeatedly, stranding a combined 19 baserunners. The decisive sequence began with two outs in the 11th. Navy’s Cullen Klug singled up the middle and promptly stole second base. Victor Izquierdo then worked a walk, bringing Brown to the plate. The Navy third baseman, who finished the day 3 for 5, delivered the game’s only run, lacing a single through the left side to score Klug easily.

The walk-off hit made a winner of Navy reliever Jackson Clark, who threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts after replacing starter Tyler Grenn. Grenn was brilliant in a no-decision, scattering six hits over 8 1/3 innings while striking out seven and walking none. His performance was matched for much of the afternoon by Lafayette’s pitching staff, most notably reliever Owen Basso. Entering in the eighth inning, Basso threw 3 2/3 perfect innings of relief, striking out two, before the Midshipmen broke through against him in the 11th.

Lafayette’s best chance to score came in the top of the ninth inning against Grenn. Liam Ebbs and Alex Barrist led off with back-to-back singles, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Matt Colella’s sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Grenn was then lifted for Clark, who induced a fly ball to right field from Brandon Doub. Navy right fielder Andrew Manning made the catch and fired a perfect strike to catcher Will Howard, who tagged out a sliding Ebbs at the plate to complete an inning-ending double play and preserve the tie.

The Leopards threatened again in the 10th, loading the bases with one out on a single and two sacrifices, but a strikeout and a baserunning appeal play at third base ended the inning without a run crossing. Lafayette also ran itself into multiple outs on the basepaths, with three runners caught stealing and another picked off.

Navy improved to 21-13 overall, while Lafayette fell to 7-24. The Midshipmen have now won the first two games of the Patriot League series after a 9-1 victory on Friday. The teams were scheduled to conclude the doubleheader later Saturday.