NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- A three-run second inning proved to be enough for the nationally-ranked CNU baseball team on Saturday afternoon as the Captains held on for a 3-1 win over No. 25 Randolph-Macon College (11-5). Graduate student Jackson Baird (2-2) picked up the win for the Captains and sophomore Charlie Gunn earned his second save of the year. 

Coming off its first shutout of 2026, the Captains' pitching staff kept the momentum rolling at Captains Park on a beautiful second day of Spring. Baird gave up just one run over 5.0 proficient innings with only three hits allowed and four strikeouts. Junior lefty Mitchell Mortensen came on and shut out the Yellow Jackets in the sixth and seventh with a pair of punchouts. Gunn then came on in the eighth and pitched the final two frames for a two-inning save without giving up a hit and striking out a pair. 

All of the run scoring came in the second inning for the Captains as rookie Lukas Miller started things off with a ground ball through the right side of the infield. Next up another freshman found the other hole, driving a hit through the left side. With two on and one out, Brayden Mazzoni stepped in and drove in the first run of the game with a single into right center field. 

The Captains had runners at the corners and executed a double steal that allowed the second run to score when Mazzoni reached second and Adams stole home. On the very next pitch, freshman Jake Mutter slapped a single into center field to drive in another run and CNU was quickly ahead, 3-0, behind the youngest players in the CNU lineup. Three freshmen and a sophomore manufactured the early rally for the Captains. 

Baird faced his biggest challenge in the fourth after cruising through the lineup without a hit allowed the first time around. Randolph-Macon reached on a pair of singles in the fourth and Jon Quici delivered an RBI single into left field. After a walk, the visitors had the bases loaded, but Baird reached back and stranded all three with a groundball up the middle. 

The Captains looked primed to add to the lead in the fifth inning when Sam Benedict raced home on a double to the right center field gap by Cameron Slough. On the relay, Benedict reached the plate but was called out due to illegal contact on a collision. 

In the top of the eighth, Gunn came on and benefited from a dynamite play at third base to start his outing. On a hard-hit groundball to the left side, Adams ranged and made a diving play toward the hole; he leaped to his feet and fired a dart across the diamond to nick the runner by a step for the first out of the inning. Gunn then got a quick groundball to second and struck out the next batter on three pitches. 

Benedict doubled to lead off the eighth but the Captains were unable to bring him in and Gunn stayed on for the two inning save in the ninth. The sophomore right-hander struck out the first batter and got the second out on a grounder to the right side. After a hit-by-pitch brought the tying run to the plate, Gunn closed out the win with a fly ball to right field. 

CNU will return to action on Sunday on the road at Hampden-Sydney College. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.