LEXINGTON, Va. -- "Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose; sometimes it rains." The memorable quote from the baseball classic Bull Durham has never been quite as realized for Christopher Newport and really, the whole of Division III baseball, as it has been during the 2015 season. Throughout the year, teams up and down the East Coast have suffered through the torment of inclement weather, but as the Captains fight and claw for their postseason lives, it was a gift from Mother Nature that helped spark a win on Thursday afternoon. 

CNU traveled to Southern Virginia for Capital Athletic Conference action on Wednesday, falling behind the Knights 4-0 in the fourth inning before the skies opened and a thunderstorm forced yet another postponement. Just over 22 hours later, the Captains (13-12, 6-10) looked like a completely different team, scoring six runs in their first at-bat and racing past Southern Virginia (6-17, 4-11) by a final score of 11-4. With the win, CNU keeps its CAC Tournament hopes alive, with a crucial doubleheader against York College (Pa.) at home Saturday that will play a large part in deciding who captures the final seeds. 

The home team jumped out to an early advantage on the Captains Wednesday afternoon, as they too were fighting for a potential playoff bid. Those hopes were dashed in the setback, though it looked early as if the Knights were in control of the game. Southern Virginia scored two in the first inning on CNU starter Adam Emerson when Kaleb Caplin plated a pair with an RBI single. They would add another in the third, an unearned run coming home on an error by the first baseman. 

Then, in the fourth, the Knights threatened a big inning at the Rockbridge High School field when the rain came. Emerson gave up just one run before the delay, but the bases were loaded with two outs as the umpires called off the contest. With nearly a full day to address strategy heading into Thursday's pivotal matchup with the Knights, head coach John Harvell called on his senior closer, Justin Garber, to get out of the jam. 

Unlike the rest of his 15 appearances this season, Garber entered the game in the 4th inning like a starter and made a big pitch to kick off the Captains big day. Facing Tanner Wilde, Garber worked into a 2-2 count before delivering a groundball to Taylor Loudon at shortstop for the huge out, limiting any more damage from the home team. 

As the Captains stepped to the plate for the first time on Thursday, they wasted no time taking advantage of the layover. Caplin, who had allowed just four hits with three strikeouts over four innings of work on Wednesday, was replaced by Justin Cooper to start the day on Thursday. After a groundout to lead off the inning, the Captains got rolling -- Loudon and Keith Roberts posted back-to-back singles to left, followed by an RBI double by A.J. Nicely. Then, with one on and two outs, rookie Brandon Ginch delivered a two-run blast to pull CNU back within one run, 4-3. 

Head coach Logan Mann had seen enough from Cooper, replacing the pitcher with Chris Madison after giving up three earned runs in just 2/3 of an inning. The Captains weren't done, however, as rookie Craig Johnson doubled to right center and Tyler Wood walked to bring up designated hitter Bryant Lowry. The CNU left-handed slugger smashed a three-run blast to give CNU a 6-4 lead and a heap of momentum for the final four innings of play. 

Garber was on top of his game, retiring the first nine batters he faced including four strikeouts in the spurt. The Knights finally broke through with their first hit on Thursday after belting ten on Wednesday. A single from Wilde broke the streak, but Garber struck out Zach McNally to close out an impressive 3.1 inning performance with five K's and just one hit. 

Caleb Myers was equally as impressive in relief on Thursday, tossing a perfect eighth with three straight strikeouts before closing out the game in the ninth with another shutout inning. Garber earned the win, improving to 2-0 on the season, while Myers recorded his second save of the season. 

CNU tacked on five more runs in the top of the ninth for good measure. Ginch was again at the forefront of the offensive surge, driving in a pair on a single up the middle, and would later score on a wild pitch. Josh Moore and Loudon each added RBI singles later in the inning as the Captains ran away for the CAC win. 

The Captains outhit the Knights, 15-11, including an impressive 11-1 advantage in the final five and a half innings. Ginch led the way with a 3-for-5 effort with four RBI and two runs scored. Lowry's three-run blast was the highlight of a 2-for-3 performance with a walk, and Nicely, Wood and Loudon all posted multi-hit efforts. Loudon reached in four of his five plate appearances. 

The regular season will conclude for Christopher Newport on Saturday, April 11 as they host the Spartans (10-12, 6-9) in a Capital Athletic Conference doubleheader starting at Noon. Live stats will be available at CNUsports.com/live.