NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- For the second day in a row, the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team won a 16-4 game shortened by the 10-run rule as the Captains improved to 23-9 overall after rolling past Regent University on Thursday afternoon. Playing on a bright, sunny day at Captains Park, junior first baseman Aaron Maxie enjoyed a career day going 3-for-3 with a grand slam and a career-high six RBI to lead the way. 

The game was shortened to seven innings after Christopher Newport scored at least one run in all six home halves including a six-run second and a five-run sixth. Regent scattered four runs across the top, but the CNU offense could not be stopped for the second day in a row. 

On the mound, Mitchell Mortensen improved to 5-0 in the pre-determined bullpen game by facing just one batter over the minimum in his two innings of work. Mortensen retired the side in order in the first and then faced four in the second with two groundballs and a strikeout following a hit by pitch to lead off the inning. 

With the veteran lefty putting up a couple of zeroes, the Captains staked him to a quick 7-0 lead after two. In the first, Sam Benedict reached on a single and Maxie delivered the first of his six runs batted in with a two-out double off the wall in deep center field. Then, in the second, the Captains got a double from Gus Croll and a flared single into left center by jacob Koenig. With two outs, Jake Benedict ripped a two-run double to the gap in left and the bases were loaded again when S. Benedict and Josh Reinhold walked ahead of Maxie. After fouling off one pitch, Maxie took the second pitch of his at-bat the opposite way and flew the wall in left center field for a grand slam. 

The home run with the bases loaded was the fifth grand slam of the season for the Captains as Maxie joins Jake Benedict (x2), Brayden Mazzoni, and Cameron Slough on the season list. It was the second grand slam of his career, becoming just the 16th player in program history with multiple slams. 

Regent broke through with one run in the third off CNU reliever Tommy Blackburn, who pitched four innings for the Captains on Thursday. CNU grabbed the run right back with a lead off home run by Logan Adams in the bottom of the third and the teams traded runs again in the fourth. This time, Maxie added a sixth RBI with a single into the hole on the right side that caromed off the glove of his counterpart at first base. Reinhold, who had doubled moments earlier, scampered around to score the run and touched home plate for the 135th time in his career to join the top-ten all-time at CNU. 

The offense kept churning in the fifth and sixth with seven more runs. The first came when Macho Santiago stole home in a double steal and S. Benedict doubled home Donovan Newell to wrap up two runs in the fifth. Five came in during the bottom of the sixth, including Maxie who wrapped up his day with a four-pitch walk and reached base for the fourth straight plate appearance. Hank Hardaway reached on an infield single and Croll drove in both with a single into left field. Mazzoni added a sac fly, sending Stone Lasseigne home from third before Croll and Santiago each scored on a wild pitch. 

Closing out the win on the mound was sophomore Hank Piersol, who made his first career appearance for the Captains. He struck out the first batter he faced on a wicked slider before surrendering a walk. Then, a fly ball to center field was hauled in by Newell before Piersol punched out the final batter looking on a 2-2 pitch painting the outside corner. 

Nine different players logged base hits for the Captains in the win including multi-hit performances by Maxie, S. Benedict, and Croll. CNU also worked eight walks and drove in 13 of the 16 runs at the plate. 

Christopher Newport will next play on Monday, April 20 at Marymount University. First pitch against the Saints is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Arlington, Va.