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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Taking on a familiar foe in former conference rivals from North Carolina Wesleyan College, the CNU baseball team scored seven runs in the third inning and held off the Bishops for an 8-7 victory. The Captains improved to 15-10 overall, dropping N.C. Wesleyan to 9-17-1, while winning their fourth straight and six in the last seven games. 

CNU took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after an RBI double from Jacob Houston plated Tommy Vitaletti for the game's first run. The Bishops would answer with three in the second and one in the third, though, to take a 4-1 lead. The visitors would get three straight singles into center field to load the bases with nobody out as Lee Dunn, Tyler Clark and James Kornegay smacked the back-to-back-to-back singles. CNU starter Brett Mays got two outs from the next two batters, but a groundball to the second baseman would tie the game at one. Then, with two outs, Luis Palencia found open space on the left side of the infield to score two more runs.

Facing an early three-run deficit, the Captains offense came to life in the bottom of the third, reminiscent of the previous two games in which CNU combined for 40 hits and 36 runs scored. In the frame, Christopher Newport would blow the game open with seven runs on seven hits, stranding just one runner as the home team batted around. Junior Tommy Vitaletti had a pair of doubles in the inning to highlight the action, including an RBI two-base hit at the end of the frame. With one out, Vitaletti and senior shortstop Billy Steel smacked back-to-back doubles to start the scoring.

After Justin Weaver reached on an error by the left fielder, Steel crossed the plate to set up and brought Houston back to the plate. He roped a single up the middle to score Weaver, and then promptly stole second base to put himself in scoring position. Travis Younger then followed with single up the middle on a full count, putting runners on the corners. A double steal would produce the go-ahead run as Houston swiped home.

The scoring surge continued after Kyle Corwin walked and Curtis Pittman reached on an RBI infield single. Catcher Collin Wilber added an RBI single of his own, scoring Corwin, and setting up the run-scoring double by Vitaletti. In all, seven different Captains crossed the plate in the inning as CNU took an 8-4 lead. NC Wesleyan pulled within two with a pair of runs in the fifth, as Dunn and Kornegay added RBI singles. 

Rookie Michael Thomas entered the game to end the fifth inning and tossed two scoreless innings headed into the eighth. Then, after giving up a single and a one-out walk, the Captains called on Weaver to pitch for the second straight day. J.J. Rodriguez managed a bases-loaded single through the left side, but the Captains outfield was drawn in, preventing more than one run from scoring. Then, with just one out, the bases loaded and the game-tying run just 90 feet away from scoring, Weaver got Jason Riley to pop out to second base and Dunn to ground out on a bouncer back to the pitcher, ending the threat. 

The Bishops were not done threatening, as Clark doubled to lead off the ninth, but a key out on a failed sacrifice bunt attempt gunned down the lead runner at third base. Then, back-to-back flyouts to right center field ended the ball game as Weaver earned his first career save. Thomas earned the win, improving to 1-1 on the season for CNU, while Chase Johnson suffered the loss, falling to 0-1 after allowing seven of the eight CNU runs. 

Offensively, Corwin reached base in all four plate appearances without having to put the bat on the ball; he walked twice and was hit-by-pitch twice. Houston was 2-5 with two RBI and a run scored and two stolen bases, and Vitaletti's two-double inning led the way in a 2-4 effort with two runs scored and an RBI. The Bishops outhit the Captains, with a 12-9 advantage including three multi-hit efforts from the bottom of the order. 

The Captains difficult schedule continues this weekend as CNU will take on nationally-ranked Salisbury University at Noon on Saturday, April 4 before then traveling to Frostburg State University for a doubleheader on Sunday, April 5. The back-to-back twin bills will wrap up a six-day set of seven games as the Captains wind down the regular season.