NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Taking on 11th-ranked Randolph-Macon College, the Christopher Newport baseball team led early and hung tough throughout the whole game, but the Captains (5-3) suffered a 9-6 loss on Sunday afternoon.

CNU took a 2-0 lead after the first two innings and after Randolph-Macon took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth, the Captains tied things up at three in the bottom half. From there, though, a pair of three-run innings proved to be the difference for Randolph-Macon as they took a 9-3 lead and the Captains were able to only add three. 

Miscues hurt the Captains throughout as four errors led to four unearned runs. In the sixth, a dropped throw on the would-be second out ended up extending the inning for the Yellow Jackets and the veteran offense made it count for the visitors. Three straight batters picked up hits after the inning would have been over and it resulted in three unearned runs against Captains starter Jay Cassady. 

Cassady started in Sunday's matchup against the nationally-ranked Yellow Jackets and allowed two earned runs over 6.0 innings of work; he gave up six runs in total on six hits while striking out five. In relief, Danny Checkosky allowed two runs and Gray Goodrich gave up the ninth and final run before Jack Rosenberg and Matt Gaither held the R-MC offense in check over the final two frames. 

Offensively, CNU struck first with an RBI double by Kyle Schofield in the first inning and another RBI two-bagger in the second by Ethan Weaver. The Captains couldn't capitalize with baserunners in the early stages though, stranding three runners in the first two innings. 

Macon responded with a solo home run by Ethan Iannuzzi in the 3rd and a two-run shot in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead. CNU tied things up in the bottom of the fifth when Jonathan Fisher singled and scored on the third run-scoring double of the day for the Captains. This one came off the bat of senior Eric O'Brien to knot the game back up. 

In the bottom of the seventh as Christopher Newport attempted to claw back into the game, Jonathan Fisher led off with a deep fly to dead center field for his second home run of the season. In the 8th, Keegan Doyle delivered his first career hit with an RBI single up the middle after Alec Reilly tripled to deep center with one out. Doyle then scored on a hard line drive single by Conner Clark two batters later, but that would prove to be the last of the scoring for the Captains. 

Reilly, Weaver, and Fisher all led the team with two hits in the game. Doyle was 1-for-3 with a walk, reaching base in two of his four plate appearances. 

Christopher Newport will return to action this Tuesday, March 16 as they host Methodist University at 2:00 p.m. Live stats and a live video webcast will be available and the Captains Outdoor Spectator Policy will be enforced.