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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Christopher Newport baseball improved to 12-3 all-time in season openers under head coach John Harvell, who started his 15th year at the helm with a 6-5 win over Lynchburg College (0-1) in the Methodist Diamond Invitational. The Captains (1-0) were led by a 3-for-4, two-RBI performance from rookie Brandon Ginch, and a two-hit effort from junior shortstop Kyle Corwin. 

Freshman left-hander Joe Burris got the start for Christopher Newport and struck out four Hornets the first time through the order. After a pair of shutout innings on both sides, Lynchburg struck first with a two-out RBI single from Joe Rogers.

Playing on the campus of Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C., the Captains surged ahead in the bottom half of the third inning to take a 3-1 lead. After Josh Moore and Corwin reached to start the inning, sophomore A.J. Nicely plated the Captains' first run with an infield single. Keith Roberts followed with a sacrifice fly to score Corwin, and Ginch delivered an RBI single to right. 

The lead would not last, however, as Lynchburg answered immediately in the top of the fourth. Jay Kenyon ripped an RBI single into left center and Joe Tomasulo added an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at three. 

Senior Kyle Goddard relieved Burris to finish out the inning and pitched two more innings for the Captains. Burris wrapped up his collegiate debut with 3.1 innings pitched, five hits, three runs, two earned, and four strikeouts. 

CNU teetered back in front in the bottom of the 5th when catcher Brandon Walker moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Nicely, and scored on an RBI double from Ginch. Lynchburg tied things up again in the top of the sixth, however, on an RBI double of their own from Lincoln Evans. 

In the bottom half of the sixth, the Captains would take the lead for good, facing rookie reliever Logan Woodall. Connor Henderson delivered a one-out double to left, and moved up to third on a wild pitch. After a walk to Moore, Harvell called a double steal to score the go-ahead run from third. Corwin then moved the runner up to third, and Moore scored on an RBI groundout by Walker to stake CNU to a two-run lead, 6-4. 

The insurance run would prove pivotal, as Lynchburg tacked one on in the top of the ninth against CNU closer Justin Garber. Rob Tomasulo led off with a double, followed by an RBI single from Jonathan Munn. Garber bounced back with two on and nobody out, however, getting a fielders choice and back-to-back strikeouts to end the game and pick up his first save of the season.

Jaxn Lane (1-0) picked up the win in relief for CNU, tossing 1.1 innings with one strikeout and one hit allowed. Caleb Myers also threw a perfect eighth inning for the Captains as five pitchers combined to allow five runs on nine hits.

Offensively, the Captains registered nine hits, led by multi-hit efforts from Corwin and Ginch. Munn and Kenyon added multi-hit performances for the Hornets. 

Christopher Newport is back in action on Saturday and Sunday in the three-day Methodist Diamond Invitational. The Captains face the War Hawks of McMurry University on Saturday at Noon, followed by a 3:30 opening pitch against Methodist University on Sunday.