NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Junior Gus Croll blasted a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning of game one that would hold up as the winner and senior Cooper Newell (3-0) threw seven no-hit innings as the 22nd-ranked Captains swept a Saturday doubleheader against No. 15 Messiah University (2-4). CNU improved to 7-3 overall this season with a 6-5 win in game one and a 5-3 victory in the second game. 

Croll reached base in six of his eight plate appearances while scoring four of CNU's 11 runs in the twin bill. He also drove in a pair, with the eventual game-winning two-run blast in game one while adding a double, two walks, and one HBP to finish 3-for-5 at the plate. In game two, his walk and eventual run on a squeeze turned wild pitch proved to be the game-winning run for the Captains. 

While Croll stole the headlines for the offense, it was Newell putting together one of the finest starting pitching efforts in program history that ruled the day. The senior right-hander cruised through the Messiah lineup by retiring the first 14 batters he faced including five strikeouts. After walking the bases loaded with two outs in the fourth, he added his sixth punchout to escape the jam. He tacked on another K to start the fifth and stranded one runner before coming back out for the sixth and working around a two-out walk with his eighth strikeout. Wrapping up a gutsy no-hit performance with a 1-2-3 seventh inning, Newell struck out DH Micah Smith to start the inning and then induced a pair of weakly hit balls to second base. 

By the end of his start, Newell had faced just five batters more than the minimum without surrendering a hit and left in line for his third win of the young season. He struck out nine and walked five with one HBP. The Falcons recorded seven flyball outs against the tough righty while grounding out four times. 

With Newell putting up zeroes, the Captains were able to build a 5-0 lead against the nationally-ranked opponent. The first two runs came across on an error in the bottom of the fourth as Logan Adams and Croll came around to score. Then, in the fifth, Josh Reinhold reached on an HBP and Aaron Maxie followed with a walk. After an errant throw on a pick-off attempt, the runners moved up and, two batters later, Reinhold raced in to score on a wild pitch. 

The decisive runs would come in the sixth when Croll led off with a walk and was followed with a free pass by Macho Santiago. Jake Benedict delivered a single into right field to load the bases and head coach John Harvell gambled with a squeeze that saw Croll break for the plate. Creston Saunders wasn't able to get his bat on the ball as the pitch was in the dirt, but Croll sidestepped a tag from the catcher to put the Captains up by four. The squeeze was still on and this time Saunders got the bunt down, allowing Santiago to cross with ease. 

Messiah scored three runs in the top of the ninth as they attempted another ninth-inning comeback, but Charlie Gunn came on in relief to close out the game. He allowed two runs but struck out Drew Hurst for the final out with the tying run on base. 

In game one, the Captains needed to come from behind to capture the win at home despite taking an early lead against the Falcons. CNU scored twice in the bottom of the second to take a 2-0 lead before Messiah answered with a three-run third. The visitors tacked on two more in the fifth and led, 5-2, before CNU scored the last four runs of the game to secure the come-from-behind victory. 

In the second, Cameron Slough walked and advanced to second on a balk. He moved up to third on a single by Logan Adams and Croll walked to load the bases in front of leadoff hitter Jake Benedict. The senior center fielder drove in a pair with a single into left field and got the Captains on the board first. 

After falling behind, 5-2, the Captains clawed one back in the sixth when Croll led off with a double that just missed getting out of the ballpark in the left field corner. After a passed ball moved him up, Croll sprinted home on a groundball to the right side of the diamond as Sam Benedict picked up the RBI. The Falcons escaped further damage in the sixth, but rookie reliever Cam Comins (1-0) got the heating bats to the plate quickly with a smooth seventh inning including two strikeouts. 

Jacob Koenig opened the seventh with a hard-hit single up the middle and he moved up 180 feet on a pair of wild pitches. Adams continued his strong performance with an RBI single into center field and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Donovan Newell. After Messiah went to the bullpen, Croll found himself in a 1-2 hole against the fresh arm, but jumped on the fourth pitch of the at-bat and smashed the offering over the wall in left field. It was his first home run of the season and put the Captains ahead, 6-5, with a go-ahead two-run shot. 

The Falcons would not go quietly, however, despite a quick double play to start the eighth inning. Starting a would-be rally, Nick Moyer singled up the middle and was followed by a walk and HBP to load the bases. Marcus Dux came in from the pen for Christopher Newport to face the high-leverage situation with two outs and the bases full. After the count evened at 2-2, Dux induced a groundball to the right side; making a game-saving play at second base, Sam Benedict ranged to his right, dove to smother the groundball and fired to Reinhold covering the bag for the inning-ending out. 

In the ninth, Dux worked around a one-out double and snagged the save for Christopher Newport with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief. Rookie Luke Baker also tossed two-thirds scoreless between Comins and Dux, striking out one. 

CNU baseball will return to the field on Tuesday, March 3 as they travel to face Averett University at 2:00 p.m. The Captains will also visit Eastern Mennonite University on Thursday, March 5 at 3:00 p.m. before hosting Penn State Harrisburg for a three-game series next weekend.