SALISBURY, Md. -- After an impressive showcase in the semifinals against second-seeded Mary Washington, the season came to a close for the third-seeded Christopher Newport baseball team on Thursday afternoon as the host and top-seeded Salisbury University Sea Gulls (31-8) captured the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Championship against the Captains. Salisbury earned a 15-4 win after seven innings in the title game as CNU closes the book on the 2025 campaign with a 21-18 overall record. 

A four-run sixth inning salvaged some offensive sparks for the Captains as the ninth-ranked Sea Gulls pulled away early with a 10-run first. After the first frame, CNU held Salisbury five runs on ten hits but the Captains offense was limited until a three-run blast from senior Eric Wilson provided the visitors something to celebrate. 

The game turned quickly, as the Captains forced Salisbury to make a pair of impressive defensive plays in the top of the first with good contact against the Sea Gulls unbeaten starting pitcher, Tyler Villa. CNU was attempting to carry it's offensive momentum into game two of the day with hard-hit balls from Jake Benedict and Sam Benedict, but the Salisbury defense was up to the task. Josh Reinhold walked, adding another game to his impressive career on-base percentage, but the Sea Gulls escaped with a punchout to close the first-inning threat. 

In the bottom half, the Sea Gulls utilized a patient eye at the plate to light up the scoreboard 10 times. Needing just three hits in the inning, Salisbury faced four CNU pitchers and walked six times while also reaching on a pair of hit-by-pitches. The eight free passes all scored in the inning as Christopher Newport struggled with command. Coming on with one out and the bases loaded, Dylan Blazer managed to get an infield fly for the second out and allowed just one runner to score on an infield single before ending the big inning with a strikeout. 

Blazer stayed on for two more innings, allowing just one unearned run on one hit over 2.2 innings pitched. Peter Hoenig, Colin D'Arcy, and Eli Novario all came out of the pen after Blazer and combined to surrender four runs on four hits in three innings of work. 

On the other side of the diamond, the Captains offense was silenced through the first five innings with just one hit allowed by Villa. In the top of the fifth, senior Doc Daniels recorded the first hit of the game for CNU with a clean single through the left side. After being lifted in the next inning, Daniels closed his career with 196 career hits over four years. 

The top of the sixth is where the CNU bats did some damage against Villa, scoring four runs on five hits against the Salisbury starter. Senior Kevin Mackmin singled into left field and Reinhold followed with an infield single. That brought up Eric Wilson with two on and one out and the senior first baseman got CNU on the board with a three-run blast to left field to break up the shutout. Senior catcher Nick Norton then pinch hit for Daniels and worked into a full count before blistering a double into left field, chasing Villa from the game. 

Facing the Salisbury bullpen, the Captains sent senior Grant Hartman to the plate to pinch hit with two outs and the veteran bat came through, driving an RBI single into right field. Senior catcher Will Pellegrino popped up to end the Captains big inning but not before the four-run frame trimmed the lead back to ten, 14-4. 

Salisbury tacked on one more run in the bottom of the sixth, but the ten-run lead was enough to hold on for the mercy rule victory when the Sea Gulls closed the top of the seventh without any more runs allowed. Scott Crosson walked to lead off the inning, but a game-ending double play finished the championship game with the home team on top, 15-4. 

CNU was able to get 23 players into the game against the Sea Gulls and six different players recorded base hits. Wilson's big swing highlighted the day going 1-for-2 with 3 RBI and a run scored while Norton, Mackmin, and Reinhold represented the other runs scored for the Captains. 

Following the conclusion of the event, three CNU players were named to the 2025 C2C All-Tournament Team. Jackson Baird, who earned the win in game one against Mary Washington on the mound, Sam Benedict, a repeat selection to the All-Tournament Team, and Aaron Maxie, who rapped four hits and drove in three in the semifinal win, represented CNU on the All-Tournament squad. 

The season concludes for the Captains with a 21-18 overall record after having reached the C2C Championship Game in five of the last six seasons.