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HAMPTON, Va. -- Led by the finest start of the season for freshman left-hander Joe Burris,  the Christopher Newport baseball team cruised to a 10-2 win on the road Sunday, defeating the Newport News Apprentice School (15-12). The Captains improved to 12-12 with the win, outhitting the Builders, 12-3, in Sunday's contest. 

Burris picked up his first career win after shaking off two unearned runs in the second inning. After giving up one hit in the first and one more in the second, Burris was lights out for his first career quality start. He knifed through the Apprentice lineup, facing just 17 batters in the following five innings, wrapping up his start with six strikeouts and two hits allowed in 7.0 innings of work. 

Both the CNU offense and the Captains bullpen backed up the rookie starter, scoring ten runs against the Apprentice School, powered primarily by a six-run fourth, and shutting down the Builders in the final two innings to lock down the win. 

Offensively, the middle of the lineup did the most damage, as the 4-7 batters each had two hits in the game, with one RBI apiece. CNU got on the board in the second, as Josh Moore doubled to left center to chase home Brandon Walker for the game's first run. The Captains then fell behind, 2-1, in the bottom half of the inning, but tied things up in the top of the third. With two outs, Craig Johnson singled to left, moved up on a passed ball and scored on a Tyler Wood single up the middle. 

With the game tied, Burris started his run of scoreless innings and the Captains chased Taylor Gomer, the Apprentice starter, in the fourth. Moore led off with a walk and advanced on a failed pickoff attempt, moving into scoring position on a throwing error. Taylor Loudon stepped in and singled to right, kicking off the big six-run inning. 

Two runs scored two batters later on a throwing error by the third baseman that got up the line into right field. Gomer got got a strikeout, but the batter reached on a passed ball as the miscues continued for Apprentice. With a 5-1 lead, the Captains then called for a double steal, and Keith Roberts was on the front end at third base, swiping home for the sixth run of the game. Not finished, Wood singled to right to load the bases for Walker, who delivered an RBI groundout. The sixth and final run came home on a wild pitch, capping a wild inning for the Apprentice defense. 

With an 8-2 lead after just three-and-a-half innings, the Captains were in control. Sophomore Caleb Myers relieved Burris in the eighth, giving up one hit while striking out one before finishing out the inning. In the ninth, closer Justin Garber tossed a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout to secure the win for the Captains. 

CNU will close out the non-conference portion of its schedule on Tuesday, traveling to 10th-ranked Randolph-Macon for a 3:00 pm first pitch.