NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 19th-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team suffered a 10-4 loss to Wittenberg University (9-3) on Friday evening to open up a three-game series with the Tigers. The Captains fall to 11-5 on the season despite a four-hit day by preseason All-American Jake Benedict including a two-run home run. 

Benedict was one of three Captains with multi-hit performances as rookies Logan Adams (2-4) and Jake Mutter (2-3) rounded out the Captains offense on Friday. CNU scored four runs on eight hits with all four coming in the final two innings. 

Wittenberg scored six runs in the top of the fourth with just two earned and added four more in the top of the sixth to pull ahead, 10-0. Jackson Baird (1-2) suffered the loss after allowing two earned over 5.0 innings pitched with six strikeouts. 

Senior Dylan Blazer put together an outstanding relief appearance as he tossed a career-high 3.0 innings to close out the day on the mound for the Captains. Blazer struck out three and allowed just one hit on 45 pitches in three frames of work. 

Benedict opened his day with a single into right field and stole second in the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the sixth he lobbed a single over the shift into left center field and then he came up again in the bottom of the eighth. After Jake Mutter recorded his first career base hit with a hard-hit single up the middle, Benedict stepped in for his fourth at-bat of the day. On a 2-0 pitch, the senior right-handed batter hammered a deep fly ball down the line to clear the wall to tie Adams and Aaron Maxie for his team-leading third home run of the season. 

In the bottom of the ninth, Mutter and Benedict came through again for the Captains to score two more runs. With two outs, Macho Santiago worked a walk ahead of the rookie shortstop. Mutter then delivered an RBI double to the gap in right center field to collect his first career RBI. Moments later, Benedict picked up his fourth hit with an RBI single into right field, plating Mutter for the final run of the game. 

The late rally ended there as the Tigers escaped the ninth without any further damage to wrap up the 10-4 victory. 

It was Benedict's ninth multi-hit game of the season and extended his hitting streak to a career-long 12 straight games. In addition to Mutter and Adams finishing with two hits, four Captains reached via base on balls in the game. Santiago, Maxie, Ashton Hylton, and Hank Hardaway all took first base on a free pass in the setback. 

Christopher Newport wil return to action on Saturday in a doubleheader against Wittenberg University to close out the three-game series. Prior to game three, the Captains will recognize Medina14 Foundation Day at the ball park, honoring the memory of CNU legend Ricky Medina. CNU Baseball will welcome the family of the 2005 alum who passed away following a hard-fought battle with brain cancer in 2022. The game will continue the fundraising efforts of the foundation in his name that supports young athletes and brain cancer research.