NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Nearly unhittable in the nightcap, Dylan Weber was masterful on the mound while leading the Christopher Newport baseball team to a 4-0 victory over St. Mary's (Md.) in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader after the Captains dropped a hard-fought 4-3 decision to the Seahawks earlier in the day during a Coast-to-Coast Conference twin bill at Captains Park.
 
In seven innings of work, the sophomore southpaw struck out 13 batters, which matched the eighth-highest single-game total in program history and equaled the most by a Captain since 2013. His 13 strikeouts also marked the second-most by a sophomore in program history, falling one shy of Will Somerindyke's 14-strikeout appearance against Virginia Wesleyan on March 26, 1998.
 
Overall, Weber scattered just three hits and walked one during his seven-inning masterpiece.
 
Along with Weber, Conner Clark also made history on Sunday. The senior speedster swiped his 90th career base during the first game of the doubleheader. That moved him into a tie with Brian Gunn for the most in program history. He also ranks fifth among all active players in the NCAA and first among current Division III competitors.
 
Clark eventually finished the doubleheader with five hits, while Jay Cassady and Ethan Weaver had three apiece. Jonathan Fisher also reached base safely five times during the twin bill after collecting two hits and three walks.
 
With the split, Christopher Newport wraps up the regular season with a 19-9 record, including an 11-5 mark in conference action. Meanwhile, St. Mary's (Md.) stands at 9-13 overall and 7-9 against league foes.
 
In the nightcap, Weber took control of the game from the start. Carving up the Seahawks, he struck out six in the first three innings, including a string of five straight batters in the second and third. While the lefty was dominating on the mound, the offense struck with some two-out lightning in the second inning.
 
Cassady and Alec Reilly opened the rally with back-to-back singles before Daniel Elliott moved them up with a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Cassady scampered home on a wild pitch before Weaver legged out an infield single on a rocket to third base, which chased in Reilly. After an error put runners on the corners, Clark executed a squeeze as the senior laid down a perfectly-placed bunt that hugged the third base line and allowed Weaver to cross the plate with the team's third run.
 
Holding a 3-0 lead, Weber retired the Seahawks in order in the fourth before escaping a jam in the fifth. After St. Mary's loaded the bases with no outs, Elliott made a nice play at third base to cut down the lead runner at the plate to keep SMC off the scoreboard. With the bases still packed, Weber did the rest as he struck out the final two batters to keep the shutout intact.
 
Following the fifth-inning scare, the Captains cruised. Weber struck out two more in the sixth before adding a 1-2-3 seventh, including the 13th strikeout on a high fastball to his final batter of the game.
 
Adding a little insurance in the bottom of the seventh, Fisher drew a free pass to lead off the frame before advancing to second on a walk to Eric O'Brien. Completing the circuit, he moved to third on a wild pitch before coming home on an RBI ground out by Reilly.
 
With little left to prove, the bullpen took over and closed out the victory. Danny Checkosky never let a ball leave the infield during the eighth before Jack Rosenberg polished off the game in fitting fashion in the ninth. Finishing what Weber started, Rosenberg struck out three more Seahawks in the ninth to lock up the 4-0 win.
 
Overall, Christopher Newport's 16 total strikeouts during the game equaled the seventh-most in program history. Meanwhile, catcher Drew Caroline finished the game with 18 putouts, including a tremendous effort in the seventh inning, which saw him track a foul fly into the netting behind the plate. His 18 putouts equaled the second-most in a single-game in school history, falling three shy of the record set by Charlie Hardie at Shenandoah on March 25, 2005.
 
While Caroline added his name to the history books with his glove work in the second game on Sunday, the Captains also flashed some leather in the opener. Early on, O'Brien made a heads-up play at the plate. The program's all-time leader in fielding percentage showed off his instincts in the top of the third.
 
On the play, a runner at third broke for home after a pitch skipped away. Initially, O'Brien broke for the ball, but after seeing Cassady sprinting off the mound, he quickly retreated and covered the dish. Showing off his athleticism, Cassady eventually snagged the roller and flipped it to the plate where O'Brien laid down a terrific tag to keep the visitors off the board.
 
Two innings later, Weaver made the defensive play of the game to open the fifth. On an absolute blast up the middle, the second baseman took a step and made a diving, out-stretched snag to grab the screamer and prevent any damage.
 
While the defense was shining, Clark made his mark on the base paths. In the third inning, he beat out an infield single before swiping second for his 89th career stolen base. After Fisher also legged out an infield hit to short, Clark led the duo on a perfectly-executed double-steal as he just beat the tag at third for his record-tying 90th stolen base. Moments later, O'Brien lofted a fly to center, which brought in Clark for the game's first run.
 
That sacrifice fly was O'Brien's sixth of the year, moving him within one of matching the single-season program record of 7 set by Elly Bratton in 1994 and matched by Scotty George in 2002.
 
Unfortunately, the historic efforts were not enough for the Captains as St. Mary's came storming back. The visitors plated three runs in the sixth to snatch their first lead of the game. Although Brayden Hodges scored on a double by Clark in the seventh and an SMC error in the ninth, the Seahawks added their fourth run in the final frame to steal the 4-3 win.
 
Cassady took the loss in the opener despite striking out six and scattering only four hits in six innings of work. Nathan Clements also added two scoreless frames out of the bullpen, while Matt Gaither surrendered an unearned run while striking out a pair in the ninth.
 
Christopher Newport will be back in action on Friday when the Captains host the first weekend of the Coast-to-Coast Conference Tournament. After earning the No. 2 seed in the postseason, the team will welcome St. Mary's (Md.) and Mary Washington to town for a three-team pod.
 
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