NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The two Christopher Newport starting pitchers put up nearly identical numbers with six shutout innings apiece as the Captains (8-4, 3-0) swept Southern Virginia University (0-6, 0-2) in Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference action on Saturday. CNU won game one, 12-0, behind another dazzling performance by Husby, and picked up an 8-2 win in game two as Weber followed suit. 

Setting the tone early, senior Josh Husby (2-0) continued his strong start to the season with his fourth consecutive quality start. He headlined a pitching staff that would face only 30 batters in the game, just three more than the minimum. In six shutout frames, Husby struck out eight, walked one, and allowed just two weakly hit singles. In game two, Dylan Weber (3-1) matched Husby's effort stride for stride with nearly the exact same line including six shutout innings, nine strikeouts, one walk and two hits allowed. 

The 17 strikeouts by Weber and Husby are the most by a pair of starters in a doubleheader since March 12, 2017 when Logan Harrelson struck out 10 and Michael Thomas sat down eight against Marymount in a Capital Athletic Conference twin bill. The nine strikeouts are a career-high for Weber in his ninth career start, as the sophomore southpaw lowered his season ERA to 3.18 after the win. Husby's eight K's are a season-high while the two hits allowed matched a career-low and the fewest given up since his first career start against Susquehanna on February 24, 2018. 

Husby's outing was nearly flawless as he cruised throught he first two innings with four strikeouts and two soft groundouts. To start the third, two Knights reached on singles that barely left the infield; the first flared just over the outstretched hands of Ethan Weaver at second base and the second was a groundball up the middle that Weaver tracked down but could not get a handle on to flip to second for the out. From there, Husby was lights out again. A runner caught stealing and a fly out to right ended the third and the senior ace struck out the first batter to start the fourth. After a walk, Husby retired the next eight batters in order to finish out his stellar performance overall. 

In relief, Connor Pennell came on first and promptly retired the side in order in the seventh. He struck out a pair and induced an inning-ending lineout to short. In the eighth, Carter Strain continued the shutout performance after a leadoff single, strikeout, and inning-ending double play. Finally, Thomas Wells wrapped up the clean sheet performance with a clean ninth inning that included two groundouts and an infield pop-up. 

The offense had done more than enough with three runs in the first inning, but added a single run in the third and four more in each the fourth and seventh frames. Conner Clark led the onslaught, going 2-for-4 with a walk and a pair of stolen bases. With his second theft of the day, which came quickly after a lead-off walk in the first, Clark tied David Mitchell (1995-98) for second on the all-time stolen base chart at CNU with 81. The Captains' starting centerfielder wasted no time after the walk, stealing second and third before an out was recorded. Later in the day, Clark would add his third stolen base to take over sole possession of second all-time, trailing only Brian Gunn (1995-97) in CNU lore with 90 career stolen bases. 

In the game, Kyle Schofield delivered three RBI with a 2-for-3 performance that included a run-scoring double. Daniel Elliot was 2-for-3 and Matt Rhodes came on to go 2-for-2 in his at-bats in relief of Elliott. 

Game two started a little shakier for Weber, who allowed the first batter to reach on a walk and advance on a failed pickoff attempt moments later. It would prove to be the lone blemish of the day for the sophomore, however, as he struck out the side to escape the threat in the top of the first and cruised through the next five innings. With nobody out in the top of the fifth, two Knights reached on singles through the left side before Weber picked up a key double-play up the middle. With the first potential run of the day for Southern Virginia at third base, Weber stranded him there with a line drive fly ball to left. He then came back out for the sixth and posted his third 1-2-3 inning of the day including his ninth strikeout to punctuate another strong outing. 

In the pen, Nathan Clements came on first, allowing two runs on two hits in the seventh. Colby Shriner tossed the eighth, striking out three batters around wa one-out walk, and Jay Cassady closed out the ninth with two more K's and a fly out. 

Offensively, CNU scored two runs in four different innings to build the lead in the middle of the game. First, Schofield scampered home on single to right field by Derek Furr and then Elliott trotted home on a sacrifice fly by Keegan Doyle. One inning later, Clark and Jonathan Fisher reached with a walk and single before both would score on back-to-back RBI groundouts from Eric O'Brien and Schofield. Two more runs would come across as CNU took advantage of an error in the seventh and the final two scored in the eighth on an RBI double by Fisher and another RBI groundout by O'Brien. 

Clark was 1-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base giving him a 3-for-6 effort, 3 walks, and 3 stolen bases in the twin bill. He scored four times to lead the way for CNU in the two games. Fisher was 2-for-4 and Elliott tacked on his third hit of the day by going 1-for-4 with an RBI, 2 runs scored and a walk. 

Christopher Newport is on the road for the next four, including a doubleheader at William Peace University this Wednesday, March 31. First pitch against the Pacers is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.