NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- A six-run fifth inning would not be enough for the Christopher Newport baseball team as the 17th-ranked Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets (8-1) came from behind to capture a narrow 7-6 win over the Captains on Tuesday. The Captains fall to 4-4 on the season after a ninth inning run for the visitors proved to be the difference on a soggy afternoon in non-conference action. 

The game-winning run would come in on a play debated by the two dugouts that would ultimately be called in favor of the Yellow Jackets. With one out and runners at the corners in the top of the ninth, senior reliever Brian Owens induced what appeared to be a tailor-made double play up the middle. Captains second baseman Ethan Weaver flipped the ball to his shortstop Jonathan Fisher, but the runner from first slid into second and Fisher was unable to get off a throw to first. The Captains celebrated what they believed to be an interference call to end the inning, but the umpire clarified that just the runner at second was retired. The runner from third scampered home on the play and proved to be the difference in a 7-6 final. 

Prior to the decisive final inning, the Captains would take a 6-4 lead after five innings with an offensive outburst in the fifth. Trailing 4-0 at the time, the Christopher Newport offense batted around in the fifth plating six runs on seven hits while stranding just one runner. Andrew Suppa and Alec Reilly started things off with back-to-back one-out singles to bring up designated hitter Michael Martorano. After hitting a towering home run against Susquehanna in their last outing, Martorano again went yard on Tuesday to get the Captains on the board. The sophomore right-handed hitter smashed a no doubter on a 1-2 pitcher over the left field wall to trim the lead to just one, 4-3. 

Not finished, the Captains would keep the line moving as Weaver doubled into the left field corner to chase the Macon reliever. Conner Clark then stepped in and ripped a shot into right center to plate the game-tying run before promptly stealing second and scoring the go-ahead tally on an RBI single by Eric O'Brien. The final run of the rally came off the bat of Trey Hicks who delivered another Captains' double down the left field line. 

After taking a 6-4 lead, the Yellow Jackets would score one run in each the sixth and seventh inning to tie the game back up at six and set up the game-winning play in the top of the ninth. The first was an unearned run against Gray Goodrich after the junior reliever retired the first two batters he faced. A two-out double followed by a miscue by the Captains defense allowed the Yellow Jackets to cut the lead in half. Then in the seventh inning, Jack Rosenberg struck out a pair but the game-tying run came in after a wild pitch led to a mental blunder that saw Michael Nickles race home for Randolph-Macon. 

Early in the game the freshmen starters for both teams put together strong outings. Christopher Newport freshman Dylan Weber escaped early jams in the first, second, and fourth. In the third, Weber faced two in scoring position and nobody out when he nearly got out of it again with back-to-back strikeouts. Reece Yeargain plated the first two runs, however, with a single up the middle before Weber wiggled out ending the threat with a groundball to the right side.
 
The rookie starter for Randolph-Macon countered by allowing just one hit through the first three frames while striking out four.  He gave way to sophomore lefty Jacob Smither in the fourth before the Captains broke through in the fifth inning against the third pitcher of the day for R-MC. 

The Captains defense made several highlight-reel plays during the game. Fisher and Weaver each made diving plays in the middle infield for the Captains to get outs early in the game and Hicks added a laser of an assist out of right field in the eighth inning. Hicks fielded a fly ball with one out and completed an inning-ending double play with a perfect throw on the money to third to retire Cole Grinde trying to advance from second. 

The Captains will look to bounce back on Thursday, February 27 as they host Washington & Lee University at 2:00 pm. 

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