NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 25th-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team came up just short in a hard-fought 5-4 setback against Roanoke as the Maroons clawed back with a ninth-inning rally to steal a non-conference victory on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Captains Park.

Clutching a slim 4-3 edge entering the final frame, the Captains could not quite hold on against the scrappy Maroons. The visitors eventually drew a walk and strung together a pair of base hits to take the lead and pull out the win in the ninth.

During the game, Evan Baer reached base safely three times and knocked in three of Christopher Newport's four runs. Eric O'Brien also had a pair of hits and an RBI, while Alec Reilly chipped in with a hit, walk, and run scored.

With the setback, Christopher Newport now stands at 2-2 on the season, while Roanoke sits at 4-1.

Early in the contest, the two teams engaged in a scoreless duel through three innings. The Captains also provided one of the defensive highlights of the game to brush aside a dangerous threat by Roanoke in the second stanza. After putting a pair of runners in scoring position, the visitors saw their rally cut short after O'Brien and Andrew Suppa teamed up on a nice defensive gem for the second out of the inning.

On the play, a Maroon chopped a roller down the third base line. Charging in, Suppa plucked the ball and fired to O'Brien at the plate. Blocking the dish perfectly, the junior catcher grabbed the throw and threw down a quick tag to help eliminate the early threat.

Although Roanoke eventually came back and opened the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the fourth, Christopher Newport immediately responded. In the bottom of the frame, Trey Hicks registered the squad's first hit after blistering a shot through the third baseman. Later, the defensive heroes came up big as Suppa worked a walk and O'Brien flared a shot to shallow left field, which chased in the tying run.

Continuing the surge, Reilly loaded the bases with a single to left before Baer worked a walk, which gave the Captains a 2-1 edge.

After the Maroons retaliated with a two-run frame of their own in the top of the fifth, Christopher Newport shot back in the sixth. Regaining the lead, O'Brien singled up the middle before Reilly drew a walk. Polishing off the rally, Baer worked a full count before taking a pitch the other way for a two-run double down the rightfield line that gave the hosts a 4-3 advantage.

Holding a lead, Kyle Darmstead worked a scoreless seventh before Brian Owens put together an unusual 1-2-3 eighth. Although the Maroons were able to put a leadoff man on in the inning, he was erased on a heads-up, inning-ending double play. After Hicks tracked down a fly in right, he tossed the ball to Jonathan Fisher, who tagged second and completed the twin killing after the umpire ruled that the runner left early on his scamper to third.

Unfortunately, Roanoke continued to threaten before finally breaking through again in the ninth. After back-to-back Maroons reached on a walk and single, the visitors capitalized on a two-run base hit back up the middle to snatch a 5-4 lead. Although the Captains regained a little momentum after Hicks made a great sliding catch in right to end the frame, the squad could not keep things going in the bottom of the ninth. 

Darmstead and Owens teamed up for three innings of scoreless relief, while six Captains combined to strike out 10 batters, including five by Dylan Weber over the first four innings.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Tuesday when the squad hosts Hampden-Sydney at 2 p.m.

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