Box Score FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- In the conference opener for the 2021 season, Christopher Newport baseball exploded for 13 runs, including an eight-run fifth inning, to storm past Mary Washington (1-6, 0-1) on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore shortstop Jonathan Fisher and senior catcher Eric O'Brien led the onslaught with five hits, five RBI, and five runs combined. 

Christopher Newport scored single runs in the first and second innings before the home team broke through for two in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game. In support of their starting pitcher, the Captains responded with a massive eight run tally in the next half inning. That provided the bulk of 11 unanswered runs in a three-inning spurt that was more than enough for the CNU pitching staff.

Sophomore Dylan Weber (2-1) and freshman Jack Braley combined to allow just three runs on nine hits in the contest. Braley earned a three-inning save after striking out four and allowing just one run on two hits. Weber rebounded from his last outing with a quality start, giving up two earned on seven hits over 6.0 innings of work. The second-year southpaw struck out six in his second win of the season. 

Fisher and O'Brien got things started right out of the gate for the Captains offense, with the former tripling in the top of the first and scoring on a sacrifice fly by O'Brien. Another sacrifice fly in the second gave the Captains an early 2-0 lead as Keegan Doyle drove in Brayden Hodges for the score. 

Weber worked quickly through the first three innings before the Eagles finally scratched through courtesy of three straight singles. Weber got the second out before another single plated the game-tying run, but he got out of it without further damage on a pick-off for the third out. 

That would bring up the Captains in the top of the fifth where the team sent 12 batters to the plate en route to scoring eight runs. After Fisher led off, reaching on an error, O'Brien delivered his second RBI of the day with a double to deep center field. Kyle Schofield was hit by a pitch and Mary Washington went to the bullpen. 

The next batter, Hodges, laid down a sacrifice bunt and then Michael Martorano was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mary Washington got an out on an infield pop-up, but five straight batters would deliver two-out RBI for the Captains. Daniel Elliott walked in a run, followed by a two-run single to left field by Ethan Weaver. Then, Conner Clark roped an RBI double into right, Fisher followed with a two-bagger of his own, plating two more runs, and O'Brien finished off the big inning with an RBI single to left. 

With momentum on CNU's side, Weber went back out and helped build it some more with a 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strikeouts. He gave up a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth, but with the lead in hand, cruised to another quick inning with a fly out to finish out his day.

The offense tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh as Alec Reilly came on to single home Clark and Hodges continued his strong day overall with an RBI single for the 13th run of the day. 

Finishing off the win, Braley tossed three strong innings of relief for the Captains to earn his first career save. He retired the side in order with a pair of strikeouts in each the seventh and ninth frames. 

Fisher headlined the offensive performance with a 3-for-5 effort, scoring four times and driving in a pair. O'Brien was 2-for-3 with a team-high 3 RBI while Hodges was 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. 

The Captains and Eagles will return to the field on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. to complete the two-game conference series. Live stats and video will be available at first pitch.