![\"Queens\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/QueensUpdated2023.png\")
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Next Game:<\/p>\n
at Queens<\/p>\n
2\/14\/2026 | 11:00 a.m.<\/p>\n
\n Feb. 14 (Sat) \/ 11:00 a.m.
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\n at\u00a0Queens
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. \u2013 Led by John Loudon’s<\/a> four-hit, five-RBI collegiate debut, the Navy baseball team (1-0) smashed its way to a 12-1 run-rule victory Friday evening over Queens (0-1) in its 2026 season opener at Stick Williams Dream Field.
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\nRacking up 13 hits as a team over seven innings, Navy saw Loudon rip a pair of doubles and a two-run home run in his first college start while Brady Bendik<\/a> and Ryan Bibb<\/a> combined to keep the Royals to just four hits and struck out nine Queens batters.
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\nWith back-to-back singles to start the game and Evan Brown’s<\/a> sacrifice fly bringing in Navy’s first run of the spring, the Mids added on in the second inning when two walks set up Henry Mitchell<\/a> for an RBI groundout and was immediately followed by Loudon’s RBI double into the right-field corner to bring home fellow rookie Tyler Cripe<\/a> and make it 3-0.
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\nWith Bendik keeping the Royals in check for the first three frames with a pair of strikeouts and one hit allowed, the Mids put on a big inning in the top of the fourth when Cripe lifted a sacrifice fly and Mitchell snuck an RBI single through the right side to drive in two more runs. Loudon then cleared the bases with his two-run homer to left, extending the lead to 7-0, while Bendik worked out of danger with runners on the corners in the bottom of the fourth.
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\nAfter a Queens error started the sixth, Navy took advantage of the mistake by putting two runners on for Loudon, who then laced his second double of the day into the right-center gap to plate Mason Ceccarelli<\/a> and Mitchell. The Mids continued to roll as the sixth inning went along courtesy of a Brown sacrifice fly and Manning slapping a single into right field to drive in Chris Klug<\/a>, increasing the edge to 11-0.
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\nQueens broke the Mids’ shutout in the home half of the sixth when Kendall McDowell put a solo shot off the right-field scoreboard but Bibb entered and induced a groundout to end the threat. Team captain Victor Izquierdo<\/a> gave Navy its 11-run cushion back in the top of the seventh when he blasted an opposite-field solo shot off the scoreboard for his first homer of the season, while Bibb struck out the side in the bottom of the inning to close out the Mids’ season-opening victory.
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\nBendik finished with one run allowed on four hits while limiting Queens to one walk and punching out six in 5.2 innings, while Bibb notched three strikeouts in his 1.1 scoreless innings.
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\nOn the Royals’ side, starter Joey Ruller lasted four innings and allowed seven runs while Owen Shipman followed by allowing four runs (one earned) across two frames and Avery Booker gave up one run in his inning of work.
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\nHead Coach Chuck Ristano<\/a> Postgame
\n“Really nice start to the year. The preseason threw us a host of variables and to pitch the way Brady and Ryan did, to play defense as clean as we did and, of course, to execute that type of offensive baseball makes me incredibly proud of our group. It’s hard to not talk about John Loudon’s<\/a> day \u2026 a special young man with a very bright future. It’s not easy to get thrown into the leadoff spot in your first college game, but it didn’t take him very long to make an impact. I thought from top-to-bottom we had tough, grinding at-bats. It’s rewarding to see our team execute the things we work very hard at. It was a really good day, but our focus is always about the process of playing the absolute best brand of baseball that we can in each moment.”
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\nGame Notes
\n\u2022 Navy is now 75-55-2 in season openers, with Friday marking the Mids’ first season-opening win since 2022.
\n\u2022 Over two season-opening starts, Bendik has held the opposition to a combined two runs on four hits across 9.1 innings.
\n\u2022 The 12 runs are the most by Navy in a season opener since a 13-3 win over Delaware State on Feb. 19, 2010.
\n\u2022 Loudon’s five RBI are the most by a Mid since Brock Murtha’s<\/a> five RBI against Army on May 10 last season.
\n\u2022 Loudon is the first Navy freshman to record five RBI in a game since Stephen Born drove in five at Delaware State on April 15, 2015.
\n\u2022 Loudon’s four hits are the most by a Navy true freshman since Zane Raba tallied a four-hit day against Bucknell on March 28, 2021.
\n\u2022 Brown has tallied multi-hit games in five of his last six contests dating back to last year.
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\nUp Next
\nNavy and Queens will close the series with an 11 a.m. doubleheader on Saturday.
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Next Game: at Queens 2\/14\/2026 | 11:00 a.m.
Feb. 14 (Sat) \/ 11:00 a.m.
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