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

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Christopher Newport baseball team added to it's win streak on Saturday, sweeping York College (Pa.) 11-0 and 12-6 to make it 13 straight. The Captains improved to 22-9 overall with a 12-0 record in conference play, while the Spartans fall to 11-7, 6-3.
 
CNU now has posted the third longest win streak in program history. The Captains won 26 straight in 2011, setting the standard, and also won 14 straight in 2002.
 
In game one, the Captains put together a game that was a microcosm of the nation's longest active win streak, featuring efficient, effective pitching and a well-balanced offensive attack. Senior Michael Thomas put together another sensational start to lead the way in the combined shutout. It was CNU's fourth clean sheet in the 13-game win streak.
 
On the offensive side of the ball, there were a number of standouts including a perfect 4-for-4 outing by Craig Johnson, the sixth consecutive multi-hit game for A.J. Nicely, and a three-run home run by Ryan Grubbs, who celebrated his birthday with the round-tripper.
 
York opened the game with some momentum, putting a pair of runners on in each of the first two innings. The Captains' senior southpaw wiggled out of both mini-jams with relative ease, however, and then put it on cruise control. Starting with the final out of the second inning, Thomas retired 14 straight batters to get into the seventh inning. After allowing a single with one out in the 7^th, he picked up his fifth strikeout of the day and an easy ground ball to close out his performance.
 
After seven complete innings, Thomas had allowed just four hits, all singles, while striking out five with just one walk. He gave way to sophomore Logan Aylor for the eighth and rookie Jaret West in the ninth, as CNU closed out the shutout. Both Aylor and West gave up one hit and struck out one in the scoreless frames.
 
On the other side of the ball, the Captains offense erupted for 11 runs on 16 hits, while pounding one of the league's top pitchers in senior Elliot Mortimer. Most of the damage came against the York starter, as CNU scored nine earned runs on 12 hits in his 5.2 innings of work.
 
The first two runs came across in the bottom of the second, as A.J. Nicely led off with a single and came around on a Craig Johnson single and subsequent error. Then, J.T. Bellotti crushed a double over the left fielder's head as it one-hopped the wall to plate another run. CNU tacked on three more in the fourth inning when Grubbs stepped to the plate with a pair of runners on base. He smashed a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for his second dinger of the season.
 
CNU scored four more in the sixth, with four different players delivering RBI at-bats. In the eighth inning, CNU capped the scoring when sophomore Eliott Sledd pounded a pinch-hit two-run double to the gap to put the Captains ahead 11-0.
 
Game two was a stark contrast from the first as the Spartans took control with a five-run lead after four and a half innings. The tone of the game would flip in the bottom half of the fifth, however, when the Captains' leading slugger stepped in and delivered a momentum-shifting blow. Stepping in with two out and the bases loaded, Nicholas Baham worked to a 2-2 count before absolutely hammering an offering from York starter Randy Frankenfield over the left field wall.
 
In the next half inning, Baham and head coach John Harvell were ejected after arguing a call at first base, and a spark was ignited under the Captains, who quickly escaped the rest of the inning and went to work at the plate. The offense turned a 6-5 deficit into a 9-6 lead with an energetic burst as the dugout got behind their teammates at the plate. Brandon Walker started things up with a walk, and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Austin Henry. Sophomore center fielder Jordan Mason found the gap with a double, putting two in scoring position with only one out.
 
After a hit-by-pitch from Roberts, the tying run would come in on a balk. Then, Nicely delivered a ground ball deep in the hole between first and second. The second baseman made every effort to keep the go-ahead runs from coming in, but his dive and rolling throw to first wasn't in time and the infield single plated two. Not done, Craig Johnson then hit a rocket shot to deep center field that kept carrying and dropped for an RBI double, putting the Captains ahead, 9-6.
 
After the dramatic comeback, CNU would add two more in the seventh and another insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Mason drove in a run with a groundball and Ginch added an RBI single through the right side. The last run came when Henry drove in a run with a roped single in the 8^th.
 
Austin Slough picked up the win in relief with two scoreless innings, improving to 3-1. Senior Caleb Myers worked a scoreless eighth and junior Joe Burris retired the side in order to close out the win, 12-6.
 
Six batters finished with multi-hit efforts in the second game, including another two hits for Johnson, who finished the day 6-for-8. Nicely also had another multi-hit game, his seventh straight.
 
CNU will now hit the road for six straight games before closing out the regular season at home on April 15. The Captains will return to action on Tuesday, April 4 at nationally-ranked Randolph-Macon.