LYNCHBURG, Va. -- Taking on one of Division III's top pitching staffs in 2024-25, the Christopher Newport baseball team became the only team this season to score seven runs or more against the third-ranked University of Lynchburg arms twice, but the host Hornets (29-5) held off the Captains in a 14-7 defeat on Wednesday afternoon. CNU falls to 17-15 overall after collecting ten hits against the Lynchburg staff in the setback. 

Head coach John Harvell was coaching his 1,000th career game at CNU and becomes the first Christopher Newport coach in any sport to reach the millennial marker. Over 25 seasons leading the Captains, He has accumulated an overall record of 669-328-3 and ranks among the top-25 among active Division III head coaches with a .671 winning percentage. 

The game on Wednesday marks just the fifth time this season that Lynchburg has allowed seven runs or more in a game including twice by the CNU offense. Last week, CNU dropped an 11-7 decision to Lynchburg at home before Wednesday's 14-7 decision. Coming into the game, the Hornets ranked second nationally in team ERA  and were holding teams to an average of just 3.3 runs per game. 

The Captains opened the scoring in the top of the first when Sam Benedict reached on a one-out walk. He moved up to third on a Josh Reinhold double to right field and Aaron Maxie picked up his team-leading 27th walk to load the bases. Threatening for a big inning, Cameron Slough delivered a big swing that fell just feet shy of his third grand slam of the season and the Captains settled for a deep sacrifice fly as Benedict raced in to give CNU a 1-0 lead. 

Lynchburg wiggled out of any further damage in the first but the CNU bats got going again in the second. With two outs, Scott Crosson ripped a clean single into center field on the first pitch he faced and moved up to second on a wild pitch. Jake Benedict, the team's leading hitter, caught one off the end of the bat, but the roller to third base clipped the bag and allowed the runners to reach safely. With runners at the corners, Benedict stole second while Sam Benedict patiently worked a walk to load the bases again. The action chased the Lynchburg starter from the game, but the bullpen arm managed to induce an inning-ending groundball to strand the bases loaded. 

Utilizing the momentum-shifting out as an adrenaline boost, the Hornets tallied four runs on five hits in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead for good. They tacked on four more in the third to take an 8-1 advantage, but the CNU attack would not be silenced. 

In the top of the fourth, Justin Liakos reached on an infield single and moved up to third on an errant throw by the Hornets defense as Lincoln Lubsen reached. Jake Benedict delivered a fly ball deep enough for another sacrifice fly and Liakos scored the second run of the game for CNU. Sam Benedict then reached on an error, plating another run, and Reinhold blistered a blazing liner into center field for an RBI single. CNU trimmed the lead to just four, 8-4, after the three-run inning. 

The Captains drew ever closer in the fifth when Ayden Stuffel led off with an infield single and Liakos kept his hot stick moving with a speedy bouncer through the left side of the infield. After a walk to Lubsen, the Captains had the bases juiced again, but this time could only bring one around on a double play before the Hornets escaped the jam. Lynchburg got one back in the sixth and extended the lead with four more in the seventh. 

CNU clawed their way to two more runs in the eighth but could not close the gap any further. Crosson reached on a one-out walk and, two batters later, Sam Benedict singled to left center to put runners at the corners. A wild pitch plated Crosson and Aaron Maxie delivered the final RBI base hit of the day for CNU when he singled home Benedict with two outs. The team's leader in runs batted in now has 32 on the year. 

Christopher Newport drew eight walks in the game led by two from Sam Benedict, who finished the day 1-for-3 with 2 runs, 2 walks,a nd an RBI. Reinhold and Maxie were each 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI while Liakos finished with a multi-hit day going 2-for-5 with a run scored. Crosson reached base in three of his four plate appearances with a 1-for-2, two-walk showing and the fifth-year senior scored twice. 

Looking to bounce back, the Captains will return to action on Thursday, April 17 as they host Marymount University at 3:00 p.m.