Press Conference
WINCHESTER, Va. – The ninth-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team opened the 2023 NCAA Regional on Friday afternoon with a 9-2 win over Immaculata University (29-12) on a neutral field in Winchester, Va. The Captains (32-9) were led by rookie
Jake Benedict in his first taste of NCAA Regional action as the freshman center fielder drove in four on two hits including his first career home run.
CNU advances to face TCNJ (24-22) after the Lions earned a first-round win over the host Shenandoah University Hornets, 22-9. Christopher Newport and TCNJ will face off in the second game on Saturday after the elimination game between Shenandoah and Immaculata. Due to potential rain in the area, the Saturday games have been moved up an hour and will start at 10:00 a.m. Game two is tentatively scheduled for 1:30 p.m. but fans should stay tuned to @CNUathletics on Social Media for updates.
Senior
Dylan Weber (8-2) got the win for the Captains on the mound after allowing just two runs on six hits over 5.1 innings pitched. He struck out six to become only the sixth pitcher in CNU baseball history to eclipse 100 strikeouts in a season, passing Scott Hudgins (1997) for fifth on the all-time chart. He becomes just the second CNU pitcher since 2003 (Mike Cosby) to strike out over 100 in a season, including the most punchouts looking since Kenny Moreland's record 48 in 2008 -- Moreland is the other, who recorded 116 K's in 2008.
After Immaculata took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, the Captains righted the ship with nine unanswered runs to close out the teams 32
nd win of the season. A five-run third was the key to flipping the scoreboard and a pair of two-run homers in the sixth and seventh innings capped the scoring.
The Mighty Macs scored first on an RBI groundout and an RBI single in the top of the first before Weber escaped the early jam with a strikeout and groundball out before any further damage.
In the bottom of the third, the big rally started with patience at the plate as it has all season for the Captains. Ranking in the top-five nationally in walks per game,
Josh Reinhold and
Zach Dzarnowski were the first two runners on via the free pass. Senior first baseman
Justin Bowers then drove in the first CNU run with a hard single through the left side.
Alec Reilly walked to load the bases to bring up Benedict in a big spot. The freshman did not shy away from the moment, powering a drive to the wall the opposite way. With nobody out, Reilly stopped at third and Benedict picked up a pair of RBI on the go-ahead double.
A sacrifice fly by
Ayden Stuffel plated the next run and
Sam Benedict kept the line moving with a single into center field. Sophomore second baseman
Justin Liakos ripped a single through the left side to chase home
Jake Benedict to round out the five-run frame.
In the bottom of the sixth,
Sam Benedict led off with a walk and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Liakos. The next batter was designated hitter
Scott Crosson and the veteran lead-off man would make the most of his at-bat, smashing his first home run of the season over the right field wall. In the seventh,
Justin Bowers singled off the wall in left field and would trot home two batters later when
Jake Benedict capped his exceptional postseason debut with his first career round-tripper. The rookie from Glastonbury, Conn. hammered a pitch over the fence in left field to give the Captains a 9-2 lead.
On the mound, Weber gave way to
David Gingras in the sixth and the veteran right-hander worked out of a bases loaded jam with only one out. He induced a groundball to third, where
Sam Benedict tossed home to get the lead runner, and then got another roller to shortstop, where
Josh Reinhold collected and fired a dart across the diamond to end the threat. He would come out and finish off the seventh as well, picking up a strikeout and working around a hit and a walk.
In the eighth, CNU called on rookie
Brandon Cassedy for the first time since April 23 and the freshman showed no signs of rust. He promptly struck out two of the first three batters he faced and slammed the door on Immaculata with two clean innings of relief.
All nine CNU starters recorded at least one hit in the game and four Captains had multi-hit performances. Both Benedict brothers had two hits apiece including a 2-for-3, 4 RBI, 2 runs scored showing by Jake. Sam finished 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances. Bowers and Reilly were the others with two hits in the game, with Reilly going 2-for-3 and a walk.
CNU scored nine runs on 13 hits while holding the Mighty Macs to just two runs on eight hits.
Live stats and a live video webcast are available for all the action on Saturday. Links can be found at CNUsports.com.
