Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- The Christopher Newport baseball team opened conference play on Sunday playing on a neutral field against Marymount University. The Captains (6-2, 1-1) split the doubleheader against the Saints (3-3, 1-1), winning a slugfest in the first game, 19-13, before suffering a loss in a shortened second game, 3-0. The second game was called due to darkness after five innings of action. 

In the first game, Connor Henderson blasted a home run and led a team performance that included season-highs of 22 hits and 19 runs scored. Henderson got things started in the first inning with a one-out, two-run blast for his first round-tripper of the season. It kicked off a run that saw CNU score 10 runs in the first three innings.

The Saints offense was also clicking, scoring seven runs in the same stretch, chasing a pair of CNU pitchers by the end of the fourth inning. Kaden Darrow led the Marymount offense, driving in a team-high three RBI. Marymount tied things up in the bottom of the 4th with three RBI singles, but CNU would take the lead for good in the top of the fifth. 

In the second game, Marymount sophomore Ben Berczek picked up his first win of the season by throwing all five innings against the Captains. Facing CNU rookie Blake Ream, the two were locked in a 1-0 pitchers duel before the sun dipped below the horizon in the fifth inning. With limited time, the CNU offense was unable to score, while Marymount tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to seal the win.

Ream (0-1) struck out five in 3.2 innings of work before giving way to Cameron Parker in the game. Offensively, rookie Carter Biringer mustered the only hit of game two, driving a single in the top of the fifth with two outs.

Full stats and box scores will be available on Monday, March 9 at CNUsports.com