NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Senior right-hander
Josh Husby dazzled over seven strong innings of work for the Christopher Newport Captains baseball team, but one swing of the bat late in the game was enough for the University of Lynchburg (8-7) to eke out a victory against the home team, 4-1. Husby posted his third straight quality start to open the season, striking out seven Hornets in the no decision outing.
The game was knotted at one run apiece until the top of the eighth inning when Lynchburg's designated hitter Avery Neaves lofted a three-run home run tailing out of play just over the foul pole in left field. It would hold up for the visitors as the Hornets called on Grayson Thurman for a two-inning save.
In the setback, senior
Conner Clark finished 0-for-3 with a walk and saw his 18-game hitting streak come to a close. The left-hander from Chesapeake, Va. tied for the fifth longest hitting streak in program history by stringing together the longest run since 2014 when Tommy Vitaletti had a 20-game roll. The speedy outfielder has two hit streaks in his career of 16 or more, becoming the first player since Parker Neal in 2008 and 2009 to boast more than one streak as long in his career.
Facing the Hornets, Husby allowed a lead-off single to the first batter of the day but was nearly unhittable the rest of the day. He stranded the runner in the first and retired 12 straight batters before allowing back-to-back singles to start the fifth inning. In the second frame, Husby struck out the side sitting down the 5-6-7 hitters in the Hornets lineup on 16 pitches, quickly working through the inning. He promptly retired the side in order in the third with another strikeout and sat down the top of the order in the fourth with another whiff and two pop-ups on 11 pitches.
Working quickly, Husby was nearly unfazed by the singles in the fifth, striking out the next batter and inducing a flyout to center. He worked ahead of the next batter, Ryan Long, before a single snuck through the left side to plate the only run he would allow in the game. The senior ace collected himself and got out of the inning without any further damage with another pop-up.
For the day, Husby tossed 7.0 innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out seven and issuing zero walks. For the season, he lowered his ERA to 1.35 with 17 K's in 20.0 innings of work.
Out of the pen, freshman
Matt Gaither worked the eighth, which would end up being the decisive inning for the Hornets. Gaither put two on with one out before the home run and then responded with a strikeout and fly out to end the inning.
Nathan Clements finished out for the Captains with a dominant 1-2-3 inning in the ninth, striking out a pair with a slow roller to first accounting for the other out in the frame.
Offensively, senior
Eric O'Brien continued his season-opening hit streak with an RBI single in the third inning to get the Captains on the board.
Ethan Weaver had reached on an infield single and moved up to second on Clark's fifth sacrifice bunt of the year before the run-scoring knock.
Scott Crosson (2-for-4) and Weaver (2-for-3) led a seven-hit performance by the Captains offense.
The three-game skid marks the first time since 2017 the Captains have lost three in a row during the regular season. CNU will try to right the ship this weekend as they travel to the University of Mary Washington for the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference season opener. The Captains will face the first pitch on Saturday, March 20 at 1:00 p.m. and will return to action against the Eagles on Sunday, March 21 at 12:00 p.m.
