ARLINGTON, Va. -- The nationally-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team took a 6-5 lead in the top of the fifth inning but the Marymount Saints scored seven unanswered to capture a 12-6 win over the Captains (23-10) on Monday afternoon. The Captains logged 12 hits in the game and were led by junior
Gus Croll with a 3-for-5 performance including a pair of RBI.
The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak against the Saints for Christopher Newport dating back to the 2017 season. The Captains took a 1-0 lead in the first before the hosts scored five of the next six runs to lead 5-2 after the first three frames. CNU scored three runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth to re-take the one run advantage, 6-5.
In the top of the first,
Jake Benedict led off with a double to deep center field. Junior
Aaron Maxie worked a pivotal two-out walk and
Cameron Slough followed with a single into left field that loaded the bases. The Captains' two-out offense struck first when
Logan Adams walked to bring in Benedict for the first run.
Marymount scored three in the bottom of the first, but the Captains cut the lead to 3-2 in the second.
Jacob Koenig singled and Benedict added his second double in as many innings to put a pair of CNU baserunners in scoring position.
Sam Benedict then drove in the run with an RBI groundout.
The big inning for the Captains came in the top of the fourth when J. Benedict walked and
Josh Reinhold reached on a hit by pitch. Maxie delivered a base hit into right field to load the bases and two batters later Adams again picked up an RBI with another HBP. Croll then tied the game up at 5-5 with a two-run single into center field.
On the mound, reliever
Chase Hustead stranded the bases loaded to end the third and came back out in the fourth inning. The senior worked around a walk and a single to strand two more, five in total over 1.2 innings pitched, with a fly ball to right and a strikeout.
In the fifth, Reinhold capped the run production for the Captains with an RBI single. J. Benedict, who reached on an error after a sacrifice bunt, represented the go-ahead run on the base hit by the senior shortstop.
Marymount countered with two runs in the fifth, three more in the sixth, and two runs in the seventh to pull away in the game.
Charlie Gunn pitched the bottom of the eighth inning and retired the side in order to hold the Saints scoreless for just the second inning.
J. Benedict finished the game 2-for-3 with a walk, sacrifice bunt, and two doubles at the top of the lineup. Croll was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI and a stolen base and Koenig rounded out the multi-hit performances for the Captains with a 2-for-5 showing and a run scored.
Christopher Newport will look to bounce back at N.C. Wesleyan on Wednesday, April 22. First pitch against the Battling Bishops is slated for 4:00 p.m. in Rocky Mount, N.C.
