NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The second-ranked Captains of Christopher Newport improved to 31-4 overall this season with a 4-1 victory over Newport News Apprentice School (18-11) today. It was the last game before next week's USA South Tournament -- the Captains await the results of the Shenandoah-Averett series this weekend to find out seeding, they will be the #1 or #2 seed.

Senior starter Sean Chitsaz (Burke, Va.) earned his seventh win of the season, improving to 7-2, giving up just one run in seven innings of work. He struck out six and walked a pair.

Apprentice got out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Chris Aldridge came around to score on a fielding error. Andrew Hooper reached on the error, but Chitsaz limited the damage to just one run.

CNU finally got on the board in the fifth inning, taking the lead for good, 3-1. Designated hitter Steven Keener led the inning off with a single and after a sacrifice bunt, came around to score on a Connor Madden double down the right field line. A Drue Vernon walk followed and both Vernon and Madden scored
on a Luke Saunders triple, the eventual game-winning hit.

The Captains added one more in the sixth, as Madden drove in Keener with a sacrifice fly to bring the lead to 4-1. The Captains top two arms out of the bullpen each pitched an inning to wrap up the game, as sophomores Matt Verdillo and Ryan Fleischmann came on. Verdillo struck out two in a scoreless eighth and Fleischmann tallied his sixth save of the season with a perfect ninth.

The Captains were led by Madden's 2-for-2 day with two RBI and a run scored, while Keener was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs. Apprentice got two hits each from Chris Kennedy, Josh Tuck, Chris Perry and Corey Gallaway.

The Captains will find out their tournament seeding and scheduled matchup for Thursday's opening day of the USA South Tournament after the conference regular season games wrap up this weekend. Stay tuned to CNUsports.com for updates.