NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Christopher Newport sophomore reliever Thomas Packert continued the sensational start to his collegiate career by picking up his first victory and tossing four no-hit innings of relief to help CNU walk off with an extra-inning win over Elmira College (0-1) on Tuesday afternoon, 6-5.

Packert (1-0) struck out seven of the 13 batters he faced, and allowed just one batter to reach via an error after retiring the first 11. Following the error, he promptly got the next batter to ground out, completing his four innings pitched with just one batter more than the minimum faced. Through his first three collegiate appearances, he has yet to allow a hit over 6.1 innings of work with 11 strikeouts.

His efforts came after another solid start from sophomore Ryan Powell, who was saddled with a no decision. Powell matched his career high, which he set last week at Hampden-Sydney, with nine strikeouts, while allowing only three hits in 6.0 innings of work. He allowed three unearned runs after the Captains committed three errors in the top of the sixth inning, but exited the game with a 4-3 lead after striking out Will Jenkins to end the frame for his ninth K. 

The Captains would give up the lead in the next inning, when Bryce Plante and Hayden Rothenberg led off the seventh with back-to-back singles. Both would come around to score after a pair of errors and a single by Dylan Bellinger to take the lead for the Soaring Eagles. Center fielder Jordan Mason made a huge play for the CNU defense on Bellinger's single when he delivered a perfect strike to the plate to cut down a potential third run in the inning. Junior Joe Burris would come on to get the third out with a strikeout of Nate Hanner to end the threat. 

Now facing a one-run deficit, the Captains would tie the game in the bottom of the 8th behind senior Keith Roberts RBI single to left field. Joseph Cutchins led off with a single through the left side, and promptly stole second base and moved up to third on an errant throw. Roberts then laced a single into the grass in left field and Cutchins trotted home to knot the score at five. 

Packert had relieved Burris the inning before, and struck out the side in his first frame. In the eighth, he made two more whiff and got a slow roller to second base.  On the other side of the field, the Elmira reliever, Andy Reed, was also effective after giving up the go-ahead hit to Roberts. He struck out a pair in the eighth to start a string of eight straight retired before running into trouble in the final frame. Again it was Roberts at the crux of the inning, as Reed hit the Captains' third baseman to lead off the inning. 

After a base hit bunt by Craig Johnson and a throwing error put the winning run 90 feet away from home with nobody out, the Soaring Eagles went to Nick Cottone to try and escape the jam. Cottone struck out the first batter he faced, but after an intentional walk to Ryan Grubbs, sophomore shortstop Austin Henry stepped in and watched four straight balls to deliver the bases-loaded game-winning walk. 

The Captains started the game off red hot against the Elmira starter, Nick Sampogna, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Jordan Mason singled, followed by a walk from Joseph Cutchins. After Nicholas Baham reached via HBP to load the bases, Roberts doubled to left field to clear them and get CNU in front, 3-0. Then, Roberts scored on a wild pitch later in the inning to make it 4-0. 

CNU will be back in action on Wednesday, hosting 10th-ranked Randolph-Macon College at 2:00 pm.