ATLANTA, Ga. -- Behind a pair of home runs from
Nicholas Baham and a late-inning grand slam off the bat of
Joseph Cutchins, the 13th-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team improved to 3-0 with a 19-3 win at Oglethorpe on Friday afternoon.
Jordan Mason also kicked off the scoring with a three-run blast as the senior trio combined for 12 RBI with four apiece.
The Captains scored 19 runs in the game, marking just the fourth time in the last five seasons that CNU has scored as many runs in a game. It is also the first game in non-conference play since a 19-7 win against Randolph-Macon in 2014 that CNU scored at least 19 runs in a game. The win is the 499th in the career of head coach
John Harvell, who continues to climb the all-time charts, ranking in the top 50 nationally all-time in winning percentage.
The Stormy Petrels jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a double and a single in the first inning to score the games first run, but the Captains scored nine unanswered over the next five innings to take a commanding lead. CNU starter
Teddy Herbert (1-0) settled in and shut down Oglethorpe after the first inning. He struck out the side in the second frame and retired 12 of the last 16 batters he faced without giving up a hit after the first. The junior earned his first career win in his first collegiate start, striking out six batters with a pair of walks.
Christopher Newport's offense came to the aid of their junior starter quickly, scoring three runs in the top of the second and two more in the third. After two outs in the top of the second,
Ryan Grubbs and
Austin Henry walked to bring up Mason, who deposited the second pitch of his at-bat over the wall in right field. In the third inning,
Seth Woodard reached on a hit-by-pitch and brought up Baham for the first of his two round-trippers in the game. Baham smashed a two-run shot to the opposite field to stake Herbert to a 5-1 lead.
With their starting pitcher dealing, the Captains offense tacked on three more in the 5th and another run in the 6th inning to take a 9-1 advantage.
John Anderson reached on a fielding error to bring up Baham for his next at-bat and the senior first baseman drilled his second homer to left field. His first and second home runs of the year are the 18th and 19th of his career, moving him up to a tie for 8th all-time in CNU history. In the top of the 6th, CNU manufactured a run as Mason came around to score after singling to start the inning.
Herbert was relieved in the bottom of the sixth by
Corey Williams, who gave up one run on three hits over two innings of work to bridge the gap to
Kyle Darmstead in the final two frames. Darmstead also allowed a single run over two innings of work and struck out a pair to help secure the victory.
With a big lead already, the Captains added a single run in the eighth and exploded for nine more in the top of the ninth inning.
Conner Clark created the run in the eighth with a single to center and a pair of stolen bases. On the steal to third, an errant throw by the catcher allowed Clark to trot home to score. He was 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts in the game.
The ninth inning saw CNU bat around against a pair of Oglethorpe relievers. With one out, five straight Captains earned free passes either by hit-by-pitch or a walk, scoring two more runs. Woodard stepped in and delivered an RBI single and newcomer
Evan Baer followed with an RBI knock as well. After an out was recorded,
Nick DiNapoli chased in another run on an infield single to set up Cutchins with the bases loaded and two outs. The senior right fielder laced a 1-0 pitch over the left center field wall for his first career grand slam, clearing the bases.
Oglethorpe slips to 1-4 after the setback and the Captains will look to continue their hot-hitting start to the season this weekend with two more games. CNU is scheduled to face Millsaps College on a neutral field at Piedmont College Saturday at 2:00 pm. Following that matchup, CNU travels to Emory University on Sunday for a Noon first pitch.
