LEWISBURG, Pa. (Interstat) — Bucknell crushed Navy 16-4 on Sunday afternoon at Eugene B. Depew Field, erupting for 10 runs in a decisive fourth inning that turned a tie game into a blowout and gave the Bison a series-opening win in a Patriot League matchup.

The Midshipmen struck first, scoring a run in the top of the first inning without a hit. Ty Cripe popped up, Chris Klug grounded out and Evan Brown struck out looking, but Navy managed to push across a run on a fielding error that was not recorded in the play-by-play. The early lead was short-lived as Bucknell answered in the bottom of the second. John Calabrese singled, Lleyton Coupe doubled and Zach Selfon delivered a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in the tying run.

Navy regained the lead in the top of the third when Will Howard walked, was picked off, and then the Midshipmen scored again on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly, making it 4-1. Bucknell responded quickly in the bottom of the third. Billy Ty walked and scored on a wild pitch. Michael Trommer doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by John Calabrese. Ty Lagoni walked and scored on a single by Selfon to tie the game 4-4.

The bottom of the fourth inning turned the game completely. Deacon Bowne led off with a single. Billy Ty bunted single. After Trommer flied out, Lagoni walked to load the bases. Navy pulled starting pitcher Brady Bendik in favor of Timmy Virtudes. Garrett Mathias walked to force in a run, making it 5-4. Michael Chiaravallo, pinch-hitting for Calabrese, was hit by a pitch to force in another run. Lleyton Coupe then hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Lagoni. Selfon followed with a two-run single to center, scoring Chiaravallo and Mathias. Navy brought in Adyn Lucero, but Andrew Swenson walked and Deacon Bowne singled through the left side to drive in Selfon. By the time Billy Ty grounded into a fielder’s choice, Bucknell had scored six runs in the inning and led 10-4.

Navy tried to rally in the top of the fifth. Andrew Manning singled. Victor Izquierdo struck out, but Jake Hooten crushed a two-run home run to left field, his first of the game, cutting the deficit to 10-6. The Midshipmen got a single from Will Howard but then lined into a double play to end the inning.

Bucknell added to its lead in the bottom of the fifth. Ty Lagoni was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on a double by Chiaravallo. The Bison led 11-4. In the bottom of the sixth, Bucknell broke the game open again. Andrew Swenson singled, Bowne singled, and Billy Ty singled to drive in Swenson. Trommer singled to load the bases. Lagoni then tripled down the right-field line, clearing the bases and making it 15-4. Chiaravallo added a sacrifice fly to score Lagoni, making the score 16-4.

The Midshipmen scored one more run in the top of the seventh after Jake Hooten walked, Will Howard was hit by a pitch, and Ty Cripe walked to load the bases. Chris Klug singled to left, driving in Hooten, but the inning ended with a strikeout and a flyout. Navy’s pitching staff allowed 17 hits and issued eight walks, while Bucknell’s Jake Schultz earned the win with six innings of work, allowing three earned runs on eight hits while striking out three. Tyler Hawkins closed the final three innings, allowing one earned run on one hit with two strikeouts.

Bucknell now stands at 25-22 overall, while Navy falls to 30-18. The two teams meet again Monday and Tuesday at Depew Field.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Navy 7, Bucknell 4, while the ELO system gave Bucknell a 50.10 percent probability to win.