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ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- The ninth-ranked Christopher Newport University baseball team escaped its closest game of the season with a 3-2 win over North Carolina Wesleyan (9-13, 1-4). CNU won its 22nd straight game and improved to 23-1 overall, while remaining perfect in league play, 7-0.

Senior ace Sean Chitsaz (Burke, Va.) led the Captains in a pitcher's duel, going seven innings and allowing just one run. He went six scoreless before allowing a run in the bottom of the seventh. Chitsaz struck out seven and turned over a 2-run lead to the bullpen. Matt Verdillo pitched the eighth and got two outs in the ninth, while Ryan Fleischmann recorded a strikeout to end the game and get the save.

Offensively, the Captains tacked on one run in the top of the first, as junior catcher Ben Lenda doubled in Luke Saunders, who earned a two-out walk. In the top of the fifth, CNU took advantage of a pair of miscues by the Bishops and Saunders' sacrifice fly gave CNU the 2-0 advantage.

After N.C. Wesleyan closed the gap to one in the bottom of the seventh, CNU added an insurance run in the top of the ninth as Shannon Mark's sacrifice fly scored Connor Madden. The run would prove crucial, as the Bishops added one in the bottom of the ninth for the final score, 3-2.

Chitsaz improved to 6-1 with the victory, and saw his season ERA drop to 1.40 for the year. Madden led the way at the dish, going 2-for-4 with a run scored, while rookie Billy Steel added a pair of hits as well.

Daniel Moore had three hits for the Bishops, while Tyler Clark added two. Max Knowles pitched a complete game in the loss, giving up eight hits and just two earned runs with seven strikeouts.

The two teams will match up again on Sunday at 2:00 pm.