ASHLAND, Va. -- The nationally-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team led by as many as seven runs, 12-5, after the sixth inning at Randolph-Macon on Thursday afternoon but a seven-run eighth by the home team proved to be the difference in a 17-14 setback by the Captains. The late rally by the Yellow Jackets (14-7) came in the highest-scoring matchup in the 65-game history of the all-time series between the two teams.
CNU and Randolph-Macon combined for 31 runs on 32 hits in a game shortened to eight innings due to darkness. The Captains led, 14-10, heading into the bottom of the eighth inning but could not stop Macon from flipping the scoreboard in the final half inning before dark.
Earlier in the game, Randolph-Macon held the advantage, 3-0, and then again, 5-2, before Christopher Newport put together a seven-run inning of their own to take control of the game and pull ahead, 9-5. Adding three more runs in the top of sixth, the Captains lead grew to seven, 12-5, but Randolph-Macon responded by outscoring Christopher Newport, 12-2, in the last two and a half innings.
The offense got started in the top of the third when the Captains got three straight walks from
Jake Benedict,
Sam Benedict, and
Cameron Slough to load the bases. Two batters later, senior
Josh Reinhold, making just his second start since February 14, kickstarted a dominant performance at the plate with a two-run single into center field.
The seven-run fifth inning started with another walk by S. Benedict and Slough reached on an error that allowed S. Benedict to score. After back-to-back walks by
Logan Adams and Reinhold, junior outfielder
Gus Croll delivered another two-run single for the Captains. The line kept moving as
Jacob Koenig drove in a pair with a single and
Lukas Miller stepped in to drive out a two-run home run. Three straight two-RBI base hits capped the big inning and Christopher Newport took a 9-2 lead after sending 12 batters to the plate in the inning.
Reinhold smashed a solo home run to lead off the sixth, picking up his first round-tripper of the season. Croll followed with another single and
Stone Lasseigne reached on a single into right field. With two outs, J. Benedict stepped in and drove in two more runs for the Captains with a laser into center field.
The pitching staff managed the damage through the first five innings with
Cooper Newell getting the start and working the first two innings with three strikeouts.
Ryan Morrison, coming off a no-hitter on Sunday afternoon, gave up two runs on one hit in 1.1 innings of relief, and
Chase Hustead allowed two runs with two strikeouts over the next 1.2 innings pitched.
Luke Baker came on the close the sixth, stranding one inherited base runner with a pair of flyouts and a hard-fought strikeout to end the inning. Starting the seventh, though, a single and a walk would come back to bite the rookie reliever as Macon manufactured three more runs in the seventh.
CNU got two of those three runs back in the top of the eighth when Koenig led off with a four-pitch walk. The two-out offense for the Captains was key again with S. Benedict driving in a pair of runs on a single into center field. Unfortunately, the 14-10 lead would not hold in the bottom of the eighth when
Charlie Gunn suffered his first blown save of the season.
Five CNU players registered multi-hit games including Reinhold going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs scored, a walk and a home run in the game. S. Benedict also logged a three-hit performance going 3-for-4 with a pair of walks, reaching base in five of his six plate appearances while adding a stolen base, two RBI, and two runs scored. Three Captains had two hits with Croll going 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored, J. Benedict going 2-for-5 with a walk, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored, and Lasseigne adding a 2-for-5 day with one run scored.
Christopher Newport will stay out on the road this weekend as the Captains travel to face No. 11 Salisbury University on Saturday, April 4 at 2:00 p.m.
