BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- The nationally-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team streaked past Bridgewater College in a wingding of a game on Thursday afternoon, dropping the Eagles by a final score of 17-5. Junior Justin Bowers bashed a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in six while scoring four times to lead the offensive onslaught.

The No. 22 Captains improved to 21-8 overall this season after celebrating the victory, avenging a loss to the Eagles on February 23. Bridgewater falls to 20-11 overall this season. 

Christopher Newport fans were in for a treat offensively on Thursday as the Captains scored a season-high-tying 17 runs. All nine starters were invited to the party as each pitched in at least one run, hit, or RBI. Bowers' impressive showing led the way while Alec Reilly, with two, and Conner Clark, with three, each added multi-hit days for the Captains. 

Clark's three hits against the Eagles inched him ever closer to Jordan Mason atop the all-time hits chart at Christopher Newport. With his first knock, a single into left field to lead off the third, Clark set off the confetti cannons as he tied CNU all-time great Matt Turner with 225 career hits. As the Captains poured on nine runs in the sixth and seventh innings, Clark ripped two more singles into the outfield to finish the game with 227 career base hits, just four shy of the all-time record. 

The offensive jubilee started with a two-run blast by Bowers in the top of the first, but Bridgewater countered with three runs in the first three innings to take a 3-2 lead. CNU surged back ahead with five in the fifth and tacked on ten more runs in the final four frames to run away from the Eagles. 

In the top of the fifth, Scott Crosson got the festivities started with a single into center field. Bowers walked and Daniel Elliott loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch. Left fielder Alec Reilly blistered a double down the left field line to plate the go-ahead runs and kickstart the offense. After a pitching change, Kevin Mackmin drove in a pair with a whistling line drive into center field. After stealing second to get into scoring position, Mackin then raced home for the inning's fifth run on a single into center field by Drew Caroline. 

CNU snagged another run in the top of the sixth when Bowers reached on a HBP and advanced to second on a single by Elliott. Michael Martorano stepped in and smacked a hard-hit groundball up the middle past the diving shortstop to plate Bowers as CNU took a 8-2 advantage. 

The big inning came in the top of the eighth where the Captains did most of the damage with two outs. Elliott walked and Reilly reached on an infield single. After the second out was recorded, Mackmin loaded the bases with an HBP and Caroline earned an RBI free pass on a walk. Next up, Jonathan Fisher mirrored Caroline's at-bat with a good eye, walking on a 3-2 count as CNU scored for the second time in the inning. That would force a pitching change, but Clark wasted little time against the new arm, driving in two with a single into center field to take over sole possession of second all-time in career hits. After Crosson was hit by the next pitch, Bowers worked himself into a 2-0 count and then sent the next pitch skyward. Turning on the fastball, Bowers' team-leading eighth home run of the season left the yard for a grand slam and the first six-RBI game since March 2, 2020 when Evan Baer drove in as many. 

Coming off the bench to add the cherry on top, Kyle Schofield blasted his first home run over the hill and into the river in right field with a pinch hit solo shot in the ninth. In total, the Captains gifted their pitching staff with 17 runs, all earned, on 13 hits in the contest. 

The game was started by Jack Anderson, who gave way to Danny Checkosky (1-0) in the fourth inning. Checkosky struck out one and stranded one in the fourth before the Captains' staked him to a 5-3 advantage and put the veteran reliever in line for the win. Rookie Colin D'Arcy then came on for two strong innings with a pair of strikeouts and an inning-ending double play. Kyle Lewis pitched a perfect seventh with two strikeouts and then worked another clean frame in the eighth, working around a two-out single to keep Bridgewater off the board. Jack Braley put the finishing touches on the win after a two-run home run provided the home team with the final margin. Braley induced a game-ending double play, 4-6-3, to close it out. 

CNU ripped four extra-base hits in the game with three round-trippers and a double. Bowers reached base in five of his six plate appearances and has now reached first base in eight of his last ten over the last two games. 

Christopher Newport will return to action this weekend as they host nationally-ranked Salisbury University in a Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch of the first game is scheduled for Noon at Captains Park.