FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Proving yet again that the dangerous Christopher Newport offense is never out of a game, the second-ranked CNU Captains rallied for 10 runs in the top of the 8th inning to come from behind for a 16-9 win over Southern Virginia Wednesday morning in Capital Athletic Conference action. Playing in a mid-week makeup game against the Knights (13-12, 4-9), the Captains improved to 28-4, 15-2 with the team's record-breaking 23rd game of the season scoring 10 or more runs. 

The 16-run effort marks the 23rd time the formidable CNU offense has scored in double figures this season, besting the program record 22 games with 10 or more runs scored in 2002. That team, which advanced to the College World Series, set the mark at 22 when they scored 10 runs against Lakeland in the team's 51st game; this year, CNU reached 23 double-figure scoring efforts in just the team's 32nd game of the season. 

With the win, the Captains kept pace with first-place Salisbury in the league standings, trailing the Sea Gulls by just percentage points as CNU has played one fewer game. The Capital Athletic Conference baseball tournament seeding will be determined in the final week of the season as Salisbury takes on Southern Virginia in the final series while CNU hosts York (Pa.) at Captains Park. Wednesday's makeup game for CNU was played at Mary Washington as the Captains look to make up the rained out series against the Knights. 

On Wednesday, the wild contest saw the Knights open up a 9-0 lead after just two innings before the Captains bullpen clamped down and held Southern Virginia to just three hits in the final seven innings of action. Tyler Jumper tossed three perfect innings with three strikeouts to lead the way while Brian Owens earned the win while on the mound for two innings, striking out four. 

Never faltering despite the big early deficit, the Captains chipped away with two runs in each the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to cut the lead to three, 9-6. Nicholas Baham, the nation's leader in home runs, kicked things off with a solo shot in the fourth to get CNU on the board. His 14th homer of the season ties for third most in a single season in program history, tying Chris Phaup (2002) and trailing only Matt Turner in CNU lore. Turner hit a record 17 HR in 2002 and followed it up with 15 in 2003. The dinger also raised Baham's RBI total to 50 for the season, and he would later tack on two more to finish the game with 52 RBI this season. That marks just the 10th season in program history that a player reached 50 RBI in a season and ranks 9th on the all-time chart. 

Ryan Grubbs added an RBI fielder's choice later in the inning to cap the first scoring frame for CNU. In the fifth, Conner Clark singled, stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Also moving up on the sacrifice was Seth Woodard, who picked up the first of two walks in the game as the senior set a new program record for walks in a season. He now has 39 free passes, breaking a 19-year old record set by Keith Windle in the 2000 season. Woodard also ranks third on the all-time walks list with 36 last season. With two in scoring position, Baham delivered a sacrifice fly and Jordan Mason singled in a run with a shot into center field. As CNU continued to stage it's comeback in the top of the 6th inning, Joseph Cutchins picked up an RBI HBP in the sixth before Baham added another sacrifice fly to plate Clark. 

CNU went quietly in the 7th, but in the 8th, the fireworks began. Doing most of their damage with two outs, CNU scored 10 runs on 5 hits to blow open the game late. Clark started with a walk and a stolen base, and Cutchins followed with a one-out single to put runners at the corners. Baham loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch and Mason drove in the first of 10 runs with a sacrifice fly. Now with two outs, CNU earned the benefit of one Southern Virginia error to extend the inning, and it was enough to spark the offense. Ryan Grubbs and Eric O'Brien hit back-to-back RBI singles to take the lead, 10-9, and Austin Henry followed with a walk to load the bases. Clark walked in a run and Woodard drove in a pair with a single into left field. After calling on the third pitcher in the inning, Cutchins welcomed the new arm with a three-run smash over the left field wall to cap the 10-run inning. 

While the offense did what it has been doing all season, so to did the late-game bullpen arms. Josh Husby, a usual starter for CNU, tossed a scoreless third inning to kickstart a 7-inning run of clean frames for the relief pitchers. Jumper stepped in to start the fourth and retired the side in order three straight innings for one of the finest performances of his career. Owens struck out four between the 7th and 8th innings and junior Andrew Suppa slammed the door, facing four batters in the bottom of the ninth without giving up a hit. 

Primarily courtesy of the three-run HR, Cutchins led the team with 4 RBI while going 2-for-4 and 2 runs scored. Clark was 3-for-5 with a pair of walks, reaching base in five of his seven plate appearances. He scored four times and picked up a pair of stolen bases to tie for the national lead. Mason, O'Brien, and Henry all added multi-hit games in the contest as CNU rallied for the win. 

This weekend, the second-ranked Captains will host York (Pa.) in a three-game CAC series starting Saturday with a doubleheader at Noon. The third game, which will serve as Senior Day for 12 Christopher Newport seniors, will begin at 1:00 pm on Sunday.