NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After committing just eight errors all season heading into Thursday afternoon's non-conference matchup against Hampden-Sydney College, five costly miscues came back to haunt the third-ranked CNU baseball team in a 9-5 loss to the Tigers (5-4-1). The Captains suffered their first setback of the season, falling to 9-1 overall, despite smacking another ten hits, including five for extra bases. 

Senior Ryan Grubbs was 2-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice bunt in the game, while also delivering a two-run home run to cap a five-run fourth inning for the Captains. CNU pulled the score within one in that frame, 6-5, but was unable to take the lead as the Tigers held off the powerful Captains offense. 

After falling behind 6-0, the Captains sent all nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning as the bats came to life. Senior designated hitter John Anderson walked with one out to bring up Nicholas Baham, who worked himself into a hitter's count at 2-0. On the next pitch, the senior first baseman unleashed a missile into the left field netting over the wall. The line drive laser left the park in a hurry and got the Captains on the board. 

Next up, Nick DiNapoli doubled down the left field line and raced around to score when Trey Hicks delivered an RBI single into right field. That set up Grubbs' at-bat and the senior catcher powered a no-doubter over the left field wall to cut the lead to 6-5. That would force Hampden-Sydney starter, Kieran Conway, from the game with 3.2 innings pitched and 5 earned runs allowed. 

Unfortunately for the Captains, the H-SC bullpen did their job the rest of the way and kept CNU from adding to their tally. The Captains bullpen was strong as well, with sophomore Carter Strain turning in an exceptional long relief effort. Strain came in with one out in the top of the fourth and immediately induced an inning-ending double-play. He worked through the order without issue the first time, including striking out the side in the top of the sixth. He registered five straight strikeouts before finally allowing a single in the top of the seventh, but Strain again got the ground ball for another double play. His line on the day was a career-best 5 strikeouts over 3.2 innings of one-hit shutout relief. 

Hampden-Sydney took the lead with three runs in the first inning against CNU starter Josh Husby (2-1). Matthew Spagnolo delivered the big blow with a two-run double, followed by an RBI single by Chase Counts. In the second, Matt Muehleck reached on an error and came around to score, and in the fourth, two more unearned runs were plated courtesy of two more errors. Those six runs would be enough for the Hampden-Sydney road win. 

Christopher Newport will look to bounce back after their first loss with a 1:00 game on Saturday, March 9 against Catholic University of America (2-3).