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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Christopher Newport University suffered a 4-3 setback to St. Mary's College (Md.) on Monday afternoon, dropping its first ever game in the Capital Athletic Conference. The Captains (1-1, 0-1) scored two runs in the last two innings, but could not complete the comeback against the Seahawks (1-0, 1-0). 

Senior Billy Steel drove in one while going 2-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice bunt. No other Captain managed more than one hit as the St. Mary's pitching staff held CNU to just six hits in the game. 

The Captains pitchers were also strong, allowing just four runs on seven hits. Junior starter Adam Emerson (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up an unearned run in the second inning on a passed ball witha  runner on third base. He tossed three innings and allowed just two hits with one strikeout. 

In his stead, junior Brett Mays threw a pair of scoreless frames, striking out a pair, and was followed by Jordan Boze, with two innings, one run allowed and one strike out. The fourth and final arm in the game for CNU was junior Justin Garber, making his first career appearance on the hill after moving in from the outfield. The right-hander had a strong debut, striking out a pair and getting a groundout to retire the side in the eighth. Then, in the ninth, he worked out of a bases-loaded jam, giving up just one run to keep CNU within striking distance.

In the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Travis Younger got things started with a hard shot into centerfield to lead off the inning. Then, after a groundout moved up the runner and a pop-out put the Captains down two with two outs, junior Preston Grissom came through with an RBI single to right-center. He stole second, putting the tying run in scoring position, but Sam Coe finished out the save for St. Mary's with a strikeout. 

Seahawks senior Sam Beatty (1-0) picked up the win in the team's season opener, pitching five innings of one-hit ball, striking out four. Reliever Nicholas Raimondo went 2.2 with a pair of K's, giving up just one earned, before Coe closed the game with 1.1 innings of work. 

Offensively, Brandon Eady drove in two of the four Seahawks runs, finishing the day 1-for-4. Brad Dioguardo was the only St. Mary's player with a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-5. 

Christopher Newport will be back in action this weekend as they hit the road for the first time in 2014. CNU will face a pair on neutral fields in Fayetteville, N.C. before taking on former conference rivals from Methodist University on Sunday. CNU will face Lynchburg at Noon on Friday, Feb. 14, and Rhodes at Noon on Saturday, Feb. 15.