Game 1:  Box Score in HTML Format  ||  Box Score in PDF Format
Game 2:  Box Score in HTML Format  ||  Box Score in PDF Format

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Keith Roberts and Brandon Ginch each posted six-hit performances with a combined 10 RBI and 9 runs scored in a doubleheader sweep on Saturday, as the Captains (9-7, 3-5) rushed past Penn State Harrisburg (4-6, 1-2) in Capital Athletic Conference action. The Captains scored 25 runs on 34 hits, including 12 for extra bases, as they won game one, 7-1, and game two, 18-4.  

Christopher Newport came into Saturday's twin bill riding a four-game losing streak in conference play, desperate for a chance to right the ship in conference standings. With only two earned runs allowed and the aforementioned powerful offensive performance, the Captains looked ready to put the slow start in the rear-view mirror. 

The confidence started right out of the gates, as sophomore right-hander Cameron Parker set the tone for the Captains on the mound. Parker (1-2) had the best start of his young career, tossing seven strong innings and striking out a career-high eight batters along the way. Parker scattered six hits and didn't allow a run, while quieting a Lions offense coming off a 14-run performance earlier in the week. 

In support of their second-year starter, the Captains offense put up three runs in the third, one in the fifth and three more in the sixth. CNU got on the board with a little small ball, and followed up with a big blast to take a 3-0 lead early. Brandon Walker walked to lead off the third, and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by A.J. Nicely. Roberts laced a single up the middle to plate the games first run, and then was able to trot home when Ginch smashed the first pitch he saw over the wall in left center. 

After Parker cruised through the fourth and fifth, Ginch was slated to lead off the fifth inning. Fans at Captains Park enjoying a beautiful day in the low 60s might have thought they were experiencing deja vu, as Ginch smacked his second consecutive home run to the exact same spot over the left center field wall to lead off the inning. With a 4-0 lead in hand, CNU tacked on three more in the sixth for insurance, and Ginch was again in the thick of it. After Nicely singled home a run, and Roberts reached on a single through the left side, Ginch smoked a double into right center, plating his fourth RBI of the contest.

On the mound, Parker was relieved by Caleb Myers, who gave up one run in the eighth and struck out one. Myers gave way to closer Justin Garber, who tossed a clean ninth to finish out the win, striking out one and wrapping up a quick, efficient game one in just over two hours. 

Roberts was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, and Ginch's three extra-base hits helped him finish 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs. Kyle Corwin and Nicely each finished with two hits in the first game. 

The dominant win in game one was just a preview of what would be a blowout victory in the second game. By the end of the second inning, the Captains would lead 7-0, chasing starter Clint Hicks from the game and getting into the Penn State Harrisburg bullpen. The next two pitchers wouldn't fare much better, as CNU scored nine more runs in the third and fourth. 

Connor Henderson picked up his first RBI of the day with a single in the first, but it was again a powerful swing that opened things up one batter later. Designated hitter Bryant Lowry stepped in with one out and two on, and punished a 1-2 pitch to the opposite field for a three-run jack. It was the first home run of the year for the lefty.

Three different players delivered RBI hits in the second, as Nicely doubled over the center fielder's head, Roberts peppered the left fielder with a single and Henderson placed a shot down the left field line for run-scoring strikes. In the third, the hits kept coming, as Craig Johnson singled to center field and Roberts doubled home a pair to give CNU a 9-0 lead after three. 

The biggest inning of the day came in the bottom of the fourth, when CNU scored seven runs to take a big 16-0 lead over the visiting Lions. The Captains' batted around, with everyone chipping in to the crooked number, but the biggest hit of the frame came off the bat of Roberts, who delivered a mammoth two-run homer to center field. The homer would end the day for Roberts, who capped his impressive performance at 6-for-9 with six RBI and four runs scored. 

On the defensive side of things, the Captains threw zeroes for six innings before Penn State Harrisburg hung three runs on the board in the seventh. In all, six different pitchers combined for the win, led by starter Blake Ream's four shutout innings with five strikeouts. The junior right-hander gave up just three hits before being replaced by Brett Mays (1-0), who picked up the win in relief. Michael Thomas, Joe Burris, Kyle Goddard and Jaxn Lane each pitched an inning as well. 

Offensively, Ginch added three more hits, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored to finish at 6-for-9 with four RBI and five runs scored on the day. Seven Captains finished with multi-hit performances in the second game, including a 3-for-3 showing by Henderson. Rookie Tyler Wood also had three hits, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. 

Head coach John Harvell was able to get 18 offensive and six pitchers for a total of 24 players into the game. 

The Captains will return to action on Wednesday, March 25 as they host Southern Virginia University in league action at 3:00 pm.