Marlins Down CNU 6-1 in Road Battle
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Virginia Wesleyan College baseball team snapped a two-game losing skid on Tuesday with a 6-1 victory over regional rival, Christopher Newport University.
It is the first win over the Captains since VWC claimed a 7-4 victory at home on April 20, 2012.
The Marlins started strong, working three walks in the first inning before Taylor Erby sprinted home on a wild pitch.
The second inning saw VWC take advantage of more CNU trouble as Corey King reached on an error to start the frame. He moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt, scoring on a Jordy Ellis single to right-center for a 2-0 edge. A pair of Ellis steals moved him to third where he could score on Brandon Kussmaul's RBI groundout.
CNU cut into the 3-0 lead in the fourth when Austin Henry singled to drive home Craig Johnson.
Nick Bay (1-1) surrendered just that one CNU run, striking out one while walking two and allowing three hits in four innings.
The Marlins added insurance tallies in the seventh and eighth innings to put the Captains away. Randy Neisz doubled home Kussmaul in the seventh before Justin Erby doubled in Cullen Bell and King in the top of the eighth.
Jimmy Ziemke, Chance Pauley, Jacob Pilarski, and Riley Koonce combined to throw five innings of scoreless relief while allowing just two hits.
Virginia Wesleyan (5-6/0-0) hosts Eastern Mennonite University (7-5/0-0) on Saturday for its ODAC opener. The doubleheader is slated for a noon first pitch.