NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- In a game that featured 25 runs scored and 11 extra-base hits including six home runs, the CNU baseball team gave seventh-ranked Salisbury University (21-5) everything it could handle on Saturday afternoon before falling to the Sea Gulls, 14-11. The Captains fall to 16-12 after the hard-fought setback that featured a pair of home runs from Aaron Maxie along with long balls from Josh Reinhold and Justin Liakos. 

Maxie was 2-for-5 with four RBI and a pair of runs scored to lead the overall effort by the CNU offense, which erased a three- and a four-run deficit in the game to tie things up twice against the Sea Gulls. After knotting the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the fifth, Salisbury outlasted Christopher Newport with seven runs over the final two innings compared to just four by the home bats. 

Salisbury jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first two innings with a pair of unearned runs in the first and a single run in the second when Dylan Winebrenner drove in a run with an RBI single to center field. CNU starter Cooper Newell snagged five strikeouts over the next seven outs while his offense got him back in the game.

In the bottom of the third, Reinhold hammered a long fly ball to deep center field that flew over the wall for his first home run of the season. One pitch later, Maxie sent an opposite field fly ball over the left field wall as Christopher Newport went back-to-back to pull back within one run, 3-2. CNU then knotted the score in the bottom of the fourth as Liakos turned on the first pitch of the inning and slugged a no-doubter to left field for a solo shot. His sixth career round-tripper tied the game up, 3-3. 

The Sea Gulls responded with a four-run fifth inning to re-take the lead when a grand slam put Salisbury back ahead, 7-3, but the CNU offense also put up a four spot in the bottom half to re-tie the game. Sam Benedict reached on an infield single and Reinhold walked before Salisbury recorded an out. Then, Cameron Slough singled through the right side to load the bases for Liakos. A battle at the plate ensued with the senior second baseman hanging in against the talented Salisbury reliever. An eleven-pitch at-bat included six foul balls and Liakos battling back from being down 1-2 in the count to earn a bases-loaded walk for an RBI. 

Ayden Stuffel then blistered an RBI single through the right side for the second run of the inning and Lincoln Lubsen followed with a deep fly ball to center field that held up as a sacrifice fly, plating the third run for CNU. The tying run would sprint home when Liakos raced in after Stuffel stole second and the ball kicked into the outfield for an error. 

Colin D'Arcy came in to pitch for the Captains in a tie game and worked through a pair of quiet innings for the Sea Gulls including the lone 1-2-3 inning of the game in the seventh. He retired the side to keep the game tied up heading into the final two innings. After D'Arcy left, Salisbury scored two runs in the top of the eighth on Mitchell Mortensen (1-1) who would be saddled with the loss as CNU would be unable to tie the game again.  Eli Novario nearly got the Captains out of the inning unscathed when he got a pop-up down the right field line; Liakos made a sensational snag running away from the plate in foul territory, turned and fired a strike to the plate for a double play, but the ball was wrestled loose and the go-ahead run scored. 

In the top of the ninth, Salisbury got the first two runners on against Marcus Dux before calling on Chase Hustead. The junior struck out the first batter he faced, but a walk loaded the bases and Winebrenner, the league's leading run producer, delivered a knockout blow with the second grand slam of the day for the Sea Gulls. One more run came in and Salisbury took a 14-7 lead with just three outs to play. 

The hosts would not go quietly in their final at-bat as Benedict and Reinhold led off with back-to-back singles ahead of Maxie. The sophomore first baseman powered another opposite field blast over the wall in left for a three-run shot and CNU was back within striking distance. Liakos blasted another base hit into left and, two batters later, sprinted home when Lubsen split the gap in right center for a double. The late rally would end there, though, as the Captains comeback fell three runs shy and the game ended, 14-11. 

CNU had five multi-hit games with the batters in slots 2-6 in the lineup each finished with two hits. Reinhold was 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, reaching in four of his five plate appearances. Liakos had the same line, going 2-for-3 with a couple of free passes and three runs scored. 

Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday, April 9 as the Captains host the second-ranked University of Lynchburg Hornets at 3:00 p.m.