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HAMPTON, Va. -- Despite seven extra base hits, the Christopher Newport Captains (23-16) couldn't overcome an early burst and one big inning for the Newport News Apprentice School Tuesday evening, as the Builders (24-11) held off CNU for a 9-4 win. Apprentice scored four runs in the first three innings and added a five-run sixth to pick up their first win over CNU in the last eight games. 

Senior Billy Steel was a home run shy of the cycle heading into the ninth inning, when he was set to lead off. Though he didn't get the round-tripper, Steel did add to one of his program records when he was hit by a pitch, giving him 53 for his career. He ranks second in Division III among active players, and 11th across all three NCAA divisions. Hardly the highlight of his day, Steel added three more hits to his tremendous season ledger, with a single, double and triple, raising his team-leading batting average to .423 for the season. His two-base hit in the top of the first was his 52nd, also a program record. 

While Steel had a strong individual performance, the Apprentice School managed to get to the CNU pitching staff early in the game. The home team scored an unearned run on a throwing error in the bottom of the first, and then added two runs on four hits in the second inning. Another unearned tally in the third gave the Builders a 4-0 lead before the Captains finally broke through for a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. 

CNU cut the lead in half when Curtis Pittman and A.J. Nicely delivered back-to-back one-out doubles. After a single by Tommy Kane put runners at the corners, senior Paul Keyes came through with an RBI single in his first start of the year. CNU would pull within one run, at 4-3, in the top of the sixth inning. Nicely blistered another double, his second of the game, to lead off the inning. After senior Andy Viands reached, the Captains attempted a double-steal that saw the senior caught at second, but Nicely score on the play. 

With the score tight again, the home team answered with a huge five-run sixth inning to re-take a commanding lead, 9-3. Javier Remigio and Brian Belvin each came through with two-RBI hits to highlight the inning for the Builders.

In the top of the seventh, Steel and Jacob Houston led off the inning with back-to-back triples, but Houston was stranded on third as Sam Massie came in to pitch for Apprentice and escaped without any further damage. 

That would be the last run for the Captains as CNU left 11 runners on base in the game. CNU posted 11 hits, seven for extra-bases, while Apprentice posted 13 hits with just three for extra-bases. Jordan Boze suffered the loss, falling to 2-3 on the season, while Taylor Gomer earned his seventh win of the season, improving to 7-2. 

Boze tossed the first four innings for CNU, allowing two earned runs on six hits. Michael Thomas gave up five earned in two innings of relief, and Cameron Parker closed out the game for CNU with two innings of strong relief, striking out four. 

The Captains and Builders will be back in action on Wednesday, at 3:00 pm, as CNU hosts Apprentice on Senior Day in the final game of 2014.