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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Highlighted by the third straight 2-homer game from senior Connor Henderson, the 14th-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team smacked 18 hits, including nine for extra-bases, in a 13-8 win over the Newport News Apprentice School on Monday afternoon. The Captains smashed four home runs, improving to 22-9 overall this season with a dominating performance at the plate.

The Builders fall to 16-19, despite senior Mark Labrador hitting for a cycle on a warm, sunny day at Captains Park. Labrador accounted for four of the five Apprentice School extra-base knocks, and finished off the cycle with a triple in the 8th inning. 

CNU fell behind early in the game, as Jacob Countiss delivered a bases-clearing double in the top of the first inning, but rookie Austin Slough induced an infield fly and a groundball back to the mound to get out of the inning without any further damage. 

In the bottom of the 1st, the Captains answered the early start by the Builders, scoring four runs to take the lead, 4-3. Jordan Mason walked to lead off, followed by an RBI triple by rookie Austin Henry. Senior Tommy Vitaletti then blistered a 3-1 pitch to left center field for his ninth home run of the season to tie the game, 3-3, before any outs were recorded. Brandon Ginch reached on a hit-by-pitch and came around to score two batters later when senior Kyle Corwin delivered a go-ahead RBI double. 

Apprentice answered right back in the top of the second, when Labrador delivered a two-run homer to swing back in front of the Captains, 5-4. Another four-run inning for the Captains would put the home team in front for good, however, as the Captains rallied for five hits in the second frame. The first two batters were retired, but Henry got the two-out rally started with a single up the middle, followed by a single from Vitaletti. Ginch singled into left field to plate a run, and Keith Roberts stepped in and slipped a hard shot past the third baseman for an RBI single as well. Henderson capped the inning with an RBI double to left, plating Roberts as the Captains took an 8-5 lead. 

Ryan Powell stepped in to pitch in the top of the 3rd and worked a quick 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strikeouts. Powell was credited with the win, improving to 3-0 on the season. 

After a ground-rule double by Brandon Walker led off the bottom of the inning, the Captains' catcher would trot home on a sacrifice fly two batters later by Mason. The Captains' then broke the game open with three more in the bottom of the 4th to take a 12-5 lead. Roberts led off the inning with a smash to left field, and the Captains went back-to-back when Henderson powered out his first of the day to deep left field. The third run came in to score when Corwin raced home on a bases-loaded wild pitch.  

Henderson tacked on his second homer of the day in the bottom of the 5th, crushing a 0-2 pitch into the trees beyond the left center field wall. The first baseman was named the CAC Player of the Week during the contest, and celebrated with his third straight 2-homer game. He is the first player in CNU history to hit 6 HR in three games, besting Matt Turner's record of 5 HR in a three-game span during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. 

On the mound, eight different players pitched in the game for Christopher Newport, with junior Caleb Myers logging the lone 2-inning effort. Adam Emerson, Corey Williams and Jackson Galvin all put in scoreless innings of relief for the Captains' pitching staff. 

Seven Captains finished with multi-hit performances as CNU finished with 18 base knocks in the game. Vitaletti was 2-for-2 with three walks, while Henderson's 3-for-5 with three extra-base hits led the way for the Captains with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. Walker also had three hits in five at-bats, with a pair of doubles. 

Christopher Newport opened a long week with the win, as CNU will now hit the road for three straight conference games before returning to Newport News for three more over the weekend. The seven-game week will continue on Wednesday, April 13 as the Captains travel to nationally-ranked Salisbury University for a 3:00 pm matchup with the Sea Gulls.