KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- Forced to play from behind for the first time this season, the Christopher Newport baseball team trailed by as many as five runs before storming back to capture an 8-7 walk-off win over Rochester (0-1) on Friday morning in the D3 Showcase. The Captains improved to 8-0 overall this season with the dramatic finish, which was capped by a game-winning RBI single off the bat of freshman Josh Reinhold in the bottom of the ninth. 

The come-from-behind win was made possible by an outstanding bullpen performance by the Captains as Ryan Morrison and Kyle Lewis (2-0) combined to throw five innings of one-hit ball, shutting down the Rochester bats after the fourth inning. Morrison took the lead as CNU began to mount it's comeback, putting up scoreless frames in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. Then Lewis took the bump, striking out three while retiring all six batters he faced. 

After Lewis retired the side in order in the top of the ninth, he was in position for the win when CNU headed to the plate in the bottom half. Playing like a core of veterans, the Captains game-winning rally came exclusively from freshman hitters. Ayden Stuffel pinch hit to lead off the inning and worked a walk to get things started. Moments later, Jake Benedict fought off an 0-2 pitch, bouncing a single up the middle to put a pair on with nobody out. His brother, Sam Benedict, did his job next, laying down a beautiful sacrifice bunt to move the runners up. 

That would set up Reinhold's thrilling finish, as the freshman shortstop delivered the walk-off single up the middle against a drawn in infield. Stuffel crossed the plate and the Captains picked up the team's eighth consecutive win to start the season. 

The season-opening win streak is the second best in program history after the Captains started a program-best 9-0 in 2019. CNU will look to match that mark against No. 18 Denison University in Saturday's second game of the D3 Showcase. 

The exciting ending was set up by a meticulous comeback for the Captains after falling behind, 7-2, after three and a half innings. CNU scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth to close within one and then evened the score at seven runs apiece with a single run in the bottom of the seventh. 

Starting off the big fifth inning was back-to-back singles by Justin Bowers and Alec Reilly. The veteran duo moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Scott Crosson before Kevin Mackmin delivered a two-run double down the left field line. Two batters later, Ethan Weaver stayed hot with an RBI single up the middle, plating Mackmin for the third run of the inning. After a walk and a pitching change, Sam Benedict picked up a bases-loaded RBI single through the right side to finish out the strong inning overall. 

Down only one in the seventh, the Captains worked the bases loaded with two outs as Zach Dzarnowski singled, Jake Benedict walked, and Sam was hit by a pitch. That would bring up Reinhold, who stood patiently at the plate with a 3-1 count. After readying for the pitch, a timing violation was called on the Rochester pitcher, pushing Reinhold to first with an RBI game-tying walk. 

Dzarnowski and Weaver led the way with two hits apiece while Reilly and Reinhold each added a hit and two walks.

Christopher Newport will return to action in the D3 Showcase on Saturday as they take on Denison University at 1:00 p.m. A live stream is available of the action from the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers home ballpark outside of Charlotte, N.C. – a link can be found on CNUsports.com.