BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- In a nip-and-tuck matchup on the road Wednesday afternoon, the Christopher Newport baseball team suffered a one-run setback to 10th-ranked Bridgewater College (18-3) to snap a five-game winning streak. The Captains fall to 16-6 overall this season despite four multi-hit performances out of the CNU lineup. 

Sam Benedict headlined the offensive output with his fourth straight multi-hit showing after recording a 4-for-5 day at Bridgewater on Wednesday. It marks the third four-hit performance of his career and he rapped his second double in as many days while also drawing a walk to reach base in five of his six plate appearances. 

In addition to the Captains' keystone leading the way, junior outfielder Gus Croll added a three-hit showing, going 3-for-5. Senior Jake Benedict and junior Cameron Slough each went 2-for-5 as well to round out the multi-hit efforts for CNU in the back-and-forth affair. 

CNU struck first with a run in the top half but the host Eagles answered right back to take a 2-1 lead by the end of the first frame. The Captains teetered back in front, 3-2, in the third and made it 4-2 in the fourth. Bridgewater scored single runs in each of the middle innings to tie things up, first at 4-4, and then again, 5-5, after six. The difference came when Bridgewater snuck back ahead by three in the bottom of the seventh and CNU could only scratch two more across in the top of the eighth. 

Offensively, the Captains kept stride with one of the top offenses in the country as the visiting CNU squad out-hit the host Eagles, 15-12. Bridgewater came into the game with the eighth-leading scoring offense in Division III, averaging 11 runs per game. It was only the sixth time this season BC has been outhit by their opponent.

The Captains got started in the top of the first when J. Benedict singled through the left side and S. Benedict followed with a single into right center. Slough followed with an RBI single through the left side and Christopher Newport took a 1-0 lead. 

CNU loaded the bases in the second inning with singles by Jake Mutter and Andrew Hearn followed by a walk from J. Benedict, but the runners were stranded as Bridgewater escaped the threat. In the third, CNU came through again with two runs on two hits. Logan Adams reached on a hit-by-pitch and moved up to third on a single by Brayden Mazzoni. With two in scoring position, Croll delivered an RBI single and another run came into score on an error. 

The Captains elevated the lead to 4-2 in the top of the fourth when they took advantage of a one-out double by S. Benedict. Slough hit a rocket at third base which got away and allowed Benedict to sprint home from second base. The hosts had another response with single runs in the fourth and fifth, but CNU squeaked back ahead with a run on two hits in the sixth. Again, S. Benedict was the catalyst as he jumped on the first pitch he saw and singled up the middle. After two outs, the baserunner moved up on a wild pitch and Logan Adams drove in the go-ahead run to make it 5-4. 

The decisive blow would come in the bottom of the seventh when the Eagles scored three runs on three hits against the Captains. 

With limited outs remaining, Christopher Newport mounted another attempted comeback in both the eighth and ninth innings. S. Benedict walked and Slough reached on a hit by pitch before pinch hitter Macho Santiago walked to load the bases with nobody out. A Bridgewater reliever induced back-to-back groundball outs that plated Benedict and Slough, but the rally would end there. In the ninth, Jacob Koenig walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. With one out, S. Benedict moved him up 90 feet with an infield single and the Captains had the game-tying run on third base with less than two outs. Unfortunately, the Bridgewater closer, Cam Nuckols, wiggled out of the dangerous spot with a pop-up and groundball to close out the win. 

On the mound, Cooper Newell started for the Captains and worked through five innings with four earned runs allowed, striking out three. The bullpen featured Peter Hoenig, ALex Shelkin, Jackson Chappell, and Charlie Gunn. Gunn had another strong performance at the end of the game, striking out one with a shutout eighth inning for the Captains. Chappell and Shelkin each recorded on strikeout in the game for CNU as well. 

Christopher Newport will return to action this weekend with a trip to St. Mary's College of Maryland on Saturday, March 28 and a return trip to Captains Park for the Seahawks on Sunday, March 29. First pitch for both games is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.