NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After the 13th-ranked Captains led Hampden-Sydney College by four runs heading into the final inning, the game took a wild turn that resulted in the Tigers flipping the scoreboard and holding off a last-ditch charge by CNU in the bottom of the ninth. Nine runs were scored on six hits between the two teams in the final inning as the Tigers outlasted the Captains for a 10-9 win. 

Christopher Newport dropped its third game in a row and fell to 23-12 overall this season. Hampden-Sydney improved to 17-20 with the victory. 

The Captains scored three runs in the first and two runs in the third to jump out to a 5-0 lead. The Tigers trimmed the lead to three, 5-2, with single runs in the fourth and fifth, but the Captains struck back with two in the bottom of the sixth. That would set up the come-from-behind victory for Hampden-Sydney, who scored eight runs in the final two innings, including a seven-run ninth, to pull ahead 10-7. The home team was not out of it yet and plated two runs in the bottom of the ninth before a double play ended the one-run game with the bases loaded. 

Senior right-handed starter Cooper Newell left the game in line for a victory with a strong performance over seven innings of work. Newell struck out six and surrendered two runs on six hits and a pair of walks. Newell started the game by working into the fourth inning before giving up a hit. 

At the plate, the Captains jumped on the Hampden-Sydney starter with three runs on three hits in the opening inning. Jake Benedict ripped a double the opposite way before Sam Benedict into the hole on the right side. Josh Reinhold then delivered a deep fly ball to left for the game's first run with a sacrifice fly and Aaron Maxie followed with a four-pitch walk. Junior catcher Cameron Slough stepped in and drove in both runners with a double into the left field corner, giving the Captains a 3-0 lead. 

In the bottom of the third, the top of the order kickstarted things again when the vaunted two-out offense led to two more runs for the Captains. This season, the Captains have delivered 85 RBI with two outs, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the team's offense in 2026. On Thursday, it was Gus Croll and Logan Adams who each picked up a two-out RBI with back-to-back singles in the third. Croll continued his tear at the plate with his fifth consecutive multi-hit game. 

The lead continued to mount when CNU scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth, giving Newell a 7-2 lead headed into the final three frames. S. Benedict doubled down the line and trotted home on an RBI single by Reinhold. The senior shortstop moved up two bases on back-to-back groundball outs and then raced in to score on an errant throw by the pitcher on a failed pickoff attempt. 

Sophomore Charlie Gunn came in from the bullpen to pitch the eighth and surrendered one unearned run as the Tigers cut the lead to four, 7-3. Gunn worked around the error, though, by striking out the next batter and inducing a line drive to second base to finish the inning. 

Slough and Croll led off the eighth with a pair of singles and Adams reached on an error when he laid down a sacrifice bunt. With the bases loaded and nobody out, though, the Captains were unable to score as Hampden-Sydney picked up a pivotal double play to eliminate the threat. 

In the top of the ninth, Gunn added another strikeout but ran into control problems that led to a run while walking the bases loaded. That prompted a move to Alex Shelkin in a save situation, and the veteran arm quickly recorded the second out with a sacrifice fly. The Captains could not get the third out, though, as three more walks tied the game, 7-7. Chase Hustead came on and the Tigers bats drove in three more runs and threatened for more but an exceptional defensive play at shortstop by Reinhold stopped the bleeding as he ranged to his right and fired a bullet across the diamond for the final out of the inning. 

Despite trailing by three, the Captains offense got right back to work in the bottom of the ninth. Rookie Jake Mutter drove a single into right field on an 0-2 pitch and advanced to second base on an error that allowed Reinhold to reach. Maxie followed with a single that snuck through the right side and plated Mutter to make it 10-8. Slough then capped a tremendous day at the plate with another double into left field that scored another run and moved Maxie, the game-tying run, up to third base with one out. 

The Tigers opted not to face Croll in the middle of his hot streak, intentionally walking the junior to load the bases and set up a potential double play. Adams stepped into the big spot and squared up a second-pitch fastball for a rocketed liner that looked destined to tie, or even win the game for the Captains. However, the Tigers shortstop was there to snare the ball out of the air and catch the baserunners in no-man's land for the game-ending double play. 

Slough led the offense with a 4-for-5 effort at the plate including three RBI, two doubles and a walk. Four more Captains finished with two-hit games as S. Benedict reached in all four of his plate appearances going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and two runs scored. J. Benedict was 2-for-6 with a double, his 15th of the year, and Reinhold added a 2-for-4 day with two runs, two RBI, and a walk. .Croll reached three times by going 2-for-4 with a walk. 

Christopher Newport will look to get back in the win column on Senior Day this Saturday, April 25 against No. 12 Salisbury University at 2:00 p.m. A special pregame ceremony honoring the 14 CNU seniors will start approximately 15 minutes prior to first pitch at Captains Park.