NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- With a two-run double to left center field for his fourth hit of the day, Christopher Newport senior Jordan Mason notched his record-tying 225th career hit to cap a stellar overall performance for the outfielder. Mason was 4-for-5 and drove in six runs while tying the all-time career hits record in leading the second-ranked Captains to an 11-4 win at home over #5-seed Mary Washington. With the win, CNU improves to 33-6 and advances to next weeks Capital Athletic Conference Baseball Championship Series. 

Mason, who has been making history all season for the Captains, continued to move his name up on the all-time charts at CNU. Over the course of the game he passed Billy Steel for second on the all-time hits chart before his two-run double in the bottom of the 8th tied Matt Turner's record set from 2000-03. It was his 41st career double, ranking tied for sixth all-time, and moved him up to seventh on the all-time total bases list. 

In Saturday's win, Mason opened the scoring with an RBI single into right field to plate Seth Woodard in the bottom of the first. Ryan Grubbs and Joseph Cutchins each pounded out solo homers in the bottom of the second to give CNU a 3-0 lead, and Mason, who was effective even in the at-bat he was retired, delivered an RBI groundout in the third as CNU took a 4-2 lead. The Eagles tied the game with back-to-back homers in the fourth, but Mason again delivered the go-ahead hit with a single down the line in the bottom of the fifth.

With Jumper on the hill, Mary Washington was unable to add to their run total as the junior right-handed reliever cruised through the fifth and sixth innings. Charged with his fourth inning of work in the 7th, Jumper ran into some trouble as the Eagles loaded the bases with one out. The Captains lead was just one run, 5-4, when head coach John Harvell turned to junior reliever Brian Owens to get out of the jam. 

Owens first faced Chris Rubano, and struck out the Eagles' second baseman on four pitches. Then, taking on pinch hitter Walker Chilton, Owens pounded the zone and picked up a pivotal strikeout to end the threat. 

In the bottom of the inning, the Captains carried that momentum into the batter's box and extended the lead. Woodard worked his third walk of the game to lead off the inning and then scored on a single by Mason with two outs. That would bring up Trey Hicks, who left no doubt when he hammered a two-run blast to left field that put the Captains ahead by four, 8-4. 

Owens walked the lead-off man in the 8th but picked up a strikeout and a double play to face just three batters in the inning, and CNU tacked on three more in support of his save effort in the bottom of the eighth. Woodard had a sacrifice fly two batters before Mason stepped in for his history-making two-bagger. 

With a bid to the conference championship series on the line, Owens slammed the door in the ninth for his third save of the season. He picked up a pair of flyouts and a groundball back to the mound to end the game. Mary Washington fell to 15-21 with the loss.  

Jumper improved to 6-0 on the season out of the pen with 4.0 innings of work, striking out three with 2 ER allowed. Owens faced just one more than the minimum in 2.2 innings pitched, striking out 3 and giving up just one hit. Marcel Barrett (0-4) suffered the loss despite striking out seven over seven frames. 

CNU got multi-hit efforts from Mason and Cutchins while the team also worked eight walks. 

While CNU clinched their berth to the league championship series, the other pod was being played at top-seeded Salisbury University. The Sea Gulls won their first game to force an if necessary third contest to decide whether they or Penn State Harrisburg will advance to the finals. That game is being played later Saturday afternoon.