FERRUM, Va. -- Freshman Alec Reilly reached base in all five plate appearances, scored twice, drove in a pair and picked up one stolen base during his collegiate debut, but the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team suffered an 8-7 setback in the season opener at Ferrum College (1-0) on Saturday afternoon. 

Reilly was 1-for-1 with four walks while making the start in left field for the Captains. He drove in a pair with a 2-RBI single in the top of the first inning and then scored twice later in the game, including once in the top of the 9th as the Captains tried to come from behind. Christopher Newport led 3-0 after the first inning, but were outscored 8-2 heading into the final two innings and were unable to complete a valiant comeback in the top of the 9th. 

With two outs in the top of the first, the Christopher Newport offense scored three runs against the Ferrum starter. Senior Evan Baer worked a bases-loaded walk for the first run before Reilly stepped in and singled up the middle to plate a pair. 

Junior starter Josh Husby (0-1) worked quickly through the first and second innings, striking out three, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the third when the home team scored four times on four hits. After Grey Sherfey opened the scoring with a run-scoring single, Tim Ortega picked up an RBI groundout and Josh Greenway added a two-run single into center. Husby struck out another batter and induced an inning-ending fly ball to end the threat. 

The Captains drew even in the top of the fourth when Reilly started things off with a walk. After two outs were recorded, he swiped second base and then raced home on an RBI single by junior Conner Clark. 

Isaac Yeaman hit a solo home run off Husby in the fourth and Ferrum never gave up the lead again. In the seventh, rookie Eric Lingebach earned his first career RBI with a groundball to short that plated Eric O'Brien for the score. The Captains pulled within one, 6-5, but York responded with two more in the bottom half of the inning. 

After senior reliever Brian Owens struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth, the Captains tried to mount a comeback in the final frame. Owens struck out four batters in five outs recorded and gave up just one hit. In the top of the ninth, facing the Ferrum closer, the Captains first two batters went down quickly to bring the visitors down to their final out. Reilly kickstarted another rally with a walk and scored when Michael Martorano delivered a double into left field. The next batter, Brayden Hodges, smacked a double to right center to trade places with Martorano and put the tying run in scoring position. The rally would stop just one run short, though, as Ferrum got a groundout to close out the game for the win. 

Reilly becomes ust the fourth Christopher Newport player, joining Seth Woodard, Ryan Grubbs, and Connor Henderson, to record four walks in a single game over the last ten years. Fellow newcomer, Jonathan Fisher, walked three times and the Captains worked 12 free passes in the game as a team. Seven different CNU players logged at least one hit in the contest led by the ninth-inning RBI two-baggers by Martorano and Hodges off the bench. 

Husby suffered the loss in his junior season debut, striking out four in 4.0 innings of work. Gray Goodrich allowed one run and struck out two in 1.2 IP. Tyler Jumper and Brian Owens closed out the final 2.1 innings of work for the Captains bullpen. 

Christopher Newport will return to action on Sunday to close the two-game series with Ferrum at 1:00 p.m. Live stats and a live video webcast will be available with links at CNUsports.com.