SALEM, Va. -- The potent Christopher Newport offense scored 15 or more runs for the sixth time this season as the Captains ran past Roanoke College (18-15) on Wednesday evening, 16-4, at Salem Memorial Stadium. CNU improved to 22-9 overall this season behind six multi-hit performances from the starting nine including a pair of three-hit efforts from
Josh Reinhold and
Aaron Maxie.
The Captains jumped out to a 5-1 lead after three innings and extended the advantage to 11-2 after the top of the sixth. Five more runs in the final two frames was enough to close out the game an inning early courtesy of the 10-run mercy rule.
On the mound, senior lefty
Ryan Morrison (3-1) earned the win after six innings of work. Morrison struck out four batters and allowed three runs on two hits for the victory.
Jackson Chappell gave up one run on one hit while striking out a pair in one inning of relief while
Alex Shelkin finished out the game with a perfect outing in the eighth, retiring the only three batters he faced.
Offensively, the Captains got the bats moving early with
Jake Benedict leading off with a single in the top of the first and
Sam Benedict driving him in with a double to the gap. In the third, S. Benedict walked and Reinhold picked up the first of his three hits to move the runner up and chase the Roanoke starter. After Maxie laid down a sacrifice bunt,
Cameron Slough,
Logan Adams,
Gus Croll, and
Lukas Miller followed with four straight singles to drive in four runs.
Using patience at the plate in the sixth, the Captains scored six more runs on three hits . Reinhold and Maxie led off with back-to-back singles and Slough led the bases with the first of four CNU walks in the inning. After the Maroons got one out, the next three batters all walked in a run with Croll, Miller, and pinch hitter
Ashton Hylton collecting the RBI. J. Benedict then singled in a pair and Hylton scored on an error to cap the six-run inning.
In the top of the seventh, Maxie ripped another single to lead off and Adams walked to move him up. Croll added his second RBI of the game with a single through the left side. Two more free passes started the eighth inning when Hylton and J. Benedict reached ahead of back-to-back RBI singles from Reinhold and Maxie. Slough made it three straight run-scoring singles to cap the 16-run outing.
The Captains scored 16 runs on 16 hits with 10 walks. Reinhold and Maxie were each 3-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. Slough finished 2-for-5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored with a walk. J. Benedict reached base in four of his six plate appearances, going 2-for-4 with 2 walks, a pair of RBI and two runs scored. Rounding out the multi-hit performances were Adams (2-for-5) and Croll (2-for-4) as each player chipped in two RBI.
CNU will return to action on Thursday, April 16 as the Captains host Regent University at 3:00 p.m. Live stats and a live video webcast will be available at CNUsports.com.
