NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Opening the season in mid-season form, Christopher Newport graduate student
Jackson Baird tossed 5.1 no-hit innings against Eastern Mennonite University (0-1) on Tuesday afternoon, helping lift the Captains (1-0) to a 9-4 win. Baird struck out six and the CNU offense erupted for an eight-run seventh inning to capture a season-opening win in front of nearly 300 fans at Captains Park.
The veteran right-handed starter dazzled in the season debut as he threw into the sixth inning without surrendering a hit. At the plate, the Captains were led by preseason All-American center fielder
Jake Benedict with a pair of doubles as part of a 3-for-5 performance. Benedict drove in one, scored twice, and added a stolen base from the leadoff spot for the Captains.
Overall, the Captains registered ten hits with nine coming from the top five batters in the lineup. The top half also combined for seven RBI and five runs scored to support the dominant pitching performance by Baird.
The first batter of the game reached on an error before Baird locked in over the next four frames. He faced the minimum over the next 14 batters and worked around a pair of walks late in his day to leave the game with a spotless 5.1 innings pitched. He struck out five straight batters and punched out the side in the third inning to cruise through the Eastern Mennonite lineup twice before giving way to the bullpen. At the end of his start, Baird finished with a no decision after 5.1 innings, 1 ER allowed, 6 strikeouts and three walks.
The visitors took a 3-0 lead in the top of the sixth before the Captains scratched one across in the bottom half. Benedict got things started with a double inside the third base bag and
Josh Reinhold followed with a walk. The two stole second and third to put a pair in scoring position for last year's leader in RBI,
Aaron Maxie, and the junior first baseman delivered the first RBI of 2026. Maxie raced down the line to beat out an infield single and chased in Benedict for the first run of the season.
After EMU re-took a three-run lead in the top of the seventh, the Captains caught fire in the bottom half to flip the scoreboard. Nine straight batters reached on three walks, a hit-by-pitch, and five singles as the Captains batted around and took the lead. Getting to the Royals bullpen,
Jacob Koenig started things off with a walk followed by another free pass from pinch hitter
Gus Croll. Rookie
Logan Adams was drilled on the next pitch to load the bases and another pinch hitter,
Brayden Mazzoni, delivered an RBI walk to make it 4-2.
As the lineup turned over to the top, Benedict pounded a groundball into the dirt on the left side and sped to first base with an RBI infield single. His brother,
Sam Benedict, promptly put the Captains ahead with a two-run single into left field. Reinhold, Maxie, and
Cameron Slough each followed with singles of their own and the lead ballooned to 8-4. By the end of the inning, Adams added his first collegiate RBI with a line drive into center field capping an eight-run inning on six hits.
Taking a five-run lead with just two innings to play, the Captains leaned on sophomore
Charlie Gunn (1-0) to finish out a second inning of relief for the win before transfer
Alex Shelkin worked the ninth to finish out the game. Shelkin struck out a pair and Gunn allowed one run in 2.0 innings pitched with one strikeout.
Dylan Blazer also recorded two outs in the sixth with a strikeout in his season debut out of the bullpen as the CNU arms finished out the day with ten K's.
The Captains lineup faced ten different Eastern Mennonite arms and Carter Mills (0-1) suffered the loss as he started the decisive seventh inning.
Reinhold finished the game 2-for-4 with a walk and has now reached base in 115 of his 120 career games played. In addition to Reinhold and Benedict, Maxie also added a multi-hit performance on Tuesday with a 2-for-5 showing with a pair of RBI and one run sored.
Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday, February 14 as they play host to Southern Virginia University in a doubleheader at Captains Park. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
