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SALISBURY, Md. -- The Christopher Newport baseball team suffered a 7-2 setback on the road Wednesday afternoon, falling in a Capital Athletic Conference matchup against No. 18 Salisbury University. The Captains fall to 23-13 overall with a 13-3 mark in conference play while the Sea Gulls improved to 24-8, 15-1. 

The setback moves CNU two games back of Salisbury in the conference standings with just two games left to play. The Captains have locked up at least the No. 2 seed in next week's CAC Tournament, and, despite the loss, still holds an outside shot at a share of the regular season title with the Sea Gulls. 

Salisbury senior starter Pete Grasso put together his second straight complete game effort in the win, striking out nine Captains and scattering eight hits. The eight base hits were the most for any team against Grasso this season.

For Christopher Newport, rookie Thomas Packert (5-1) suffered his first career loss despite grinding through 7.1 innings of work in the start. In the first inning, the first-year player needed just five pitches to get through a quick 1-2-3 inning, but the Gulls got to him with a two-out rally in the second. After retiring the first two batters of the inning, Salisbury registered three straight hits, including a two-run single from Kyle Canavan. After a hit-by-pitch, Justin Meekins plated Canavan with a seeing-eye single to put the home team up, 3-0. 

Packert worked through an uneventful third, and again looked ready to cruise through another inning in the fourth. After retiring two of the first three batters, the Captains' starter induced a high fly ball from Meekins that looked playable for Craig Johnson in right field. The wind continued to push, however, and the ball just snuck out over the wall for a two-run home run. 

Facing a 5-0 deficit, the Captains offensee could never get rolling against Grasso. In the fifth, J.T. Bellotti and Austin Henry singled, but both runners were stranded after a nice defensive play by the Salisbury first baseman. CNU finally broke through for two runs in the top of the seventh, when Bellotti doubled to lead off and moved up to third on a wild pitch. Henry delivered an RBI groundout for the first run, and then Keith Roberts added an RBI single to left later in the inning.

With a walk and the aforementioned base hit, senior Keith Roberts matched his career-high by reaching base in his 33rd straight game, which stands as the second longest such streak since 2011. 

Salisbury tacked on two unearned insurance runs in the bottom of the 8th and CNU would not be able to score again in the game.

Brandon Ginch (2-4), Bellotti (2-4) and Henry (2-4) led the attack with two hits apiece, while A.J. Nicely saw his 11-game hit streak come to an end. 

Out of the pen, senior Caleb Myers finished the outing by recording the final two outs. The right-handed reliever made his 64th career appearance, ranking in the top 10 among active players nationally. 

CNU will now focus on a home doubleheader against Penn State Harrisburg on Saturday, April 15, with first pitch scheduled for Noon.