NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport baseball team blasted three home runs and scored eight runs against Randolph-Macon College (17-11) on Sunday afternoon, but control problems on the mound led to a 14-8 setback at home. Jake Benedict, Cameron Slough, and Lincoln Lubsen each left the yard in the game and led 8-5 headed into the final two frames before the Yellow Jackets came from behind for the win. 

The Captains hosted Medina14 Foundation Day to dedicate the press box in the name of Ricky R. Medina, Jr., a CNU baseball alum and 2006 graduate who passed away to brain cancer in 2022. His wife, Victoria, and family created the Medina14 Foundation to honor his life and legacy and raise funds for brain cancer research and youth athletes. Prior to the game, the Captains welcomed the family onto the field for a ribbon-cutting and official dedication of the press box while his son, Ricky, Jr., threw out the ceremonial first pitch. 

As the game began, it was Randolph-Macon that snuck ahead with three runs in the first three innings on three hits against CNU starter Cooper Newell. The junior limited the damage with a key bases loaded strikeout and fly ball to right to strand three runners to close the top of the third. Then, in the bottom half, Benedict got the Captains on the board with an absolute missile to left field. Benedict's fourth home run of the season came on a 2-2 pitch as the junior outfielder sent a screamer into the netting over the left field wall. 

After Newell worked through the fourth unscathed with two more strikeouts, the Captains tied the game at three with a two-run blast off the bat of Lincoln Lubsen in the bottom half. With one out, Ayden Stuffel beat out a slow roller to shortstop to get a runner on in front of the senior catcher. Lubsen turned on the first pitch he saw and sent a towering fly ball out to left. The ball kept carrying and snuck over the wall beyond the outstretched arms of the left fielder as Lubsen tied the game against his former team. 

In the top of the fifth, Newell stayed on for the Captains despite a mounting pitch count and walked the first batter he faced. He quickly made up for it though, as the junior pitcher made an outstanding defensive play on the next batter, attempting to sacrifice the runner over. The ball was popped up slightly, toward the mound, and Newell came on with a diving snag for the first out and relayed back to first for a double play. He then got James Baffone to ground out to end the inning. He came back out in the sixth and got the first two outs, including his seventh strikeout of the day, before handing the ball off to Colin D'Arcy to finish out the inning. 

CNU teetered into the lead for the first time in the bottom of the sixth when Cameron Slough singled to left center and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Stufel. After a deep foul out to right, Slough was able to move up to third base, which proved imperative as he scampered home with the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. 

The Yellow Jackets responded with two in the seventh to re-take the lead, 5-4, after taking advantage of a pair of CNU miscues. Undeterred, the CNU offense bounced right back in the bottom half of the inning with four runs on three hits including a big blow off the bat of Slough. Coming on in a key situation to pinch hit, Doc Daniels led off with a double to left center on the only pitch he faced. Gus Croll stepped on to pinch run and raced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jake Benedict. Sam Benedict then came on and delivered a fly ball to left deep enough to plate another game-tying run as Croll sprinted home on the sacrifice fly. 

With two outs, Josh Reinhold and Aaron Maxie each walked ahead of Slough, bringing up the sophomore backstop with a chance to put the Captains ahead again. This time, Slough went the opposite way with a fly ball that carried beyond the wall in right field for a three-run blast. The home run gave the Captains an 8-5 lead with two innings to play. 

Unfortunately, the Yellow Jackets were able to counter with an eight-run eighth to take control late in the game. Randolph-Macon scored eight runs on six hits and took advantage of two CNU errors, shifting back into the lead, 13-8. The Captains were unable to score again, and the visitors tacked on one more in the ninth for the final score, 14-8. 

Slough was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI and two runs scored to lead the offensive effort while Stuffel was 2-for-3 with a run and a sacrifice bunt. Jake Benedict continued his fantastic junior season with a 1-for-4 effort at the plate in five plate appearances, adding an RBI and one run scored. He scored his 40th run of the season while starting all 30 games in the leadoff spot for CNU. 

Christopher Newport will return to action on Monday afternoon at 6:00 p.m. when the Captains take on Marymount University in Arlington, Va.