Box Score in HTML Format

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- Christopher Newport senior outfielder A.J. Nicely sprayed four hits and drove in a team-high three runs as the Captains won their seventh straight game. The Captains (16-9) hit the road to down non-conference foe North Carolina Wesleyan (17-11) by a final score of 11-3. 

Nicely put together a 4-for-5 performance for his tenth multi-hit effort of the season.  He drove in a run and scored in the top of the 1st, and helped a six-run explosion in the final three innings. 

The Captains offense scored 11 runs on 13 hits while the pitching staff kept rolling, holding the Battling Bishops to just three runs, only two earned. Nate Matheson got things started with three innings of work before giving way to Ryan Powell (1-2) out of the pen. The sophomore scattered five hits over 4.0 innings of work, striking out three to earn the win in relief. 

With just two innings remaining, the Captains turned to veterans Caleb Myers and Joe Burris to finish out the victory. Each tossed a scoreless frame to seal the win, and both recorded two strikeouts. 

Offensively, the Captains burst out of the gates with a four-run first inning, and tacked on one in the fourth. Carrying a 5-3 lead into the final third of the game, CNU blew open the game with three runs in the seventh and three more in the top of the ninth. 

In the first inning, Christopher Newport jumped on N.C. Wesleyan starter Galen Beaver (0-1), scoring four runs on three hits. Jordan Mason started things off with a walk, and stole second. Then, after a Keith Roberts walk, Nicholas Baham delivered an RBI single to center field. Three batters later, Roberts sprinted home on Nicely's RBI single to center. The Captains then pulled off a double steal with runners at first and third, with Nicely robbing second and Baham taking home on the throw. Rounding out the early burst was J.T. Bellotti, delivering an RBI single into right field to plate Nicely. 

After the Bishops bullpen recorded two scoreless frames, the Captains tacked on another in the fourth when Austin Henry singled up the middle to score Joseph Cutchins. A lead off triple in the bottom of the fifth would pay off for the home team, as N.C. Wesleyan cut the Captains lead to just two, 5-3, on an RBI groundout. 

Nicely and Cutchins added RBI knocks in the top of the seventh to put the Captains up by five with just two innings left, 8-3. In their last at-bat, CNU added some more insurance, as NIcely added his third RBI single of the day and Ryan Grubbs delivered an RBI base hit as well. Henry also added his second RBI single, plating Cutchins for the Captains' final run of the day. 

Three CNU players registered multi-hit performances while Nicely led the way with his team-leading seventh multi-RBI effort as well. Austin Henry continued the team's longest hitting streak of the season with three hits, picking up a knock in his eighth straight game. Roberts was held hitless in the game for just the seventh time this season, but continued a 22-game on-base streak, the longest such streak in the league this season. 

Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday, March 22, as they host Salisbury University in CAC action at 3:00 pm. The Sea Gulls are tied atop the conference standings with CNU with a 13-6 overall record, 6-0 in CAC play.