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FARMVILLE, Va. -- The Christopher Newport baseball team led by four with two outs remaining, but the Hampden-Sydney Tigers (9-2) rallied for a five-run walk-off win, 13-12. The Captains fall to 4-5 this season, despite seven extra-base hits including the first home run of the season by
Austin Kilbourne.
CNU jumped out to an early lead, scoring four runs in the top of the second inning. Senior
Justin Weaver got things started with a leadoff home run, his third knock of the season. The bottom third of the order would then come through with three RBI base hits as
Travis Younger,
Jacob Houston and
Collin Wilber delivered for the Captains.
Hampden-Sydney got to rookie starter
Michael Thomas in the second and third, scoring five times to take the lead. The freshman managed the damage, however, and finished out five innings of work with the lead. Thomas struck out four in the no decision.
Thomas and the Captains got the lead back with the equalizer in the fourth inning, and another four-run spot in the top of the fifth.
Tommy Vitaletti doubled home the tying run and then CNU opened the game up by taking a 9-5 lead in the fifth.
Senior
Billy Steel started the inning with a single, followed by a walk from Weaver. The two runners moved up on a passed ball and Steel scored on a single by Kilbourne. After another walk, Younger came through with his second RBI of the game, grounding out to plate Weaver. A wild pitch scored Kilbourne and an error allowed
Kyle Corwin to come around and score
Junior
Brett Mays relieved Thomas in the sixth, allowing just one unearned run while striking out a pair. Vitaletti added another RBI double in the top of the seventh to get the run back, leading by four, 10-6.
The teams would then trade two-run innings in the bottom of the 7th and top of the eighth. Kilbourne had the big swat for CNU, blasting his first home run of the season in the 8th. Steel had doubled to lead off the inning and then, with one out, the junior designated hitter hammered a long shot over the wall to put CNU up 12-8 with just six outs left.
Junior
Justin Garber (0-1) checked in to pitch in the eighth and cruised through the inning, 1-2-3. In the ninth, he struck out Hunter Lewis to start the inning, but then the Tigers began to rally. Ryan O'Hara singled, followed by another single by Lee Carneal. Spencer Wiles followed it up with a two-run double to pull within a pair, 12-10. Still hitting with just one out, a key error allowed another run to score, forcing the Captains to walk the bases loaded. Jeff Gray worked the game-tying RBI walk and Nathan Chamberlin locked up the win with a sacrifice fly to center field to walk-off with the win.
CNU got multi-hit performances from six players, including a 3-for-5, three-RBI, three-run game by Kilbourne. He and Weaver homered to lead an onslaught of extra-base knocks, as CNU collected seven in the game. Steel was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and Vitaletti finished 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI doubles.
Matt Hinson (2-1) earned the win in relief for the Tigers, tossing 4.1 innings of three-run ball. CNU chased Tigers' starter Teddy West in the fifth inning after giving up nine runs in 4.2 innings of work.
The Captains will return to action this Saturday, March 1 as they take on Montclair State at 2:30 pm.