NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Taking on Susquehanna University in their first game of the season, Christopher Newport senior Logan Harrelson had the River Hawks off balance all day long, twirling eight shutout innings with eight strikeouts to pick up his first win of the season. The Captains won, 7-0, improving to 6-2 on the year with three shutouts. 

Harrelson matched a career-high with 8.0 innings of work while facing just three batters over the minimum. He combined with rookie reliever Carter Strain for a four-hit shutout with just 30 batters faced in the contest. 

Offensively, the top highlight came in a five-run third inning when junior catcher Ryan Grubbs pelted a grand slam into the netting over the left field wall. It was his third career home run and first of the season. Senior Craig Johnson was 3-for-5 and junior Nicholas Baham was 2-for-3 to lead a 10-hit effort for the Captains. 

After Harrelson retired the side in the top of the first with just nine pitches, the Captains took the lead in the bottom half. Jordan Mason led off with a single into left, and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by rookie Conner Clark. After Seth Woodard was hit by a pitch, Johnson stepped in and hammered a double to the gap in right center field to plate Mason. The River Hawks escaped the jam without any further damage, but it would prove to be all that Harrelson needed in his pitching gem. 

After a clean second inning for both teams, the Captains would break the game open with the five-run third. Clark walked and stole second to start things off. Then, with one out, Johnson delivered a picture perfect push bunt to reach and Baham smashed a double into the corner to plate Clark. After a fielding error loaded the bases and a fielder's choice that would have ended the inning, Grubbs stepped in for the round-tripper. The junior backstop lifted a 2-0 pitch over the left field wall for the Captains' second grand slam in as many games. 

CNU added one more in the 6th when Johnson singled through the right side to score Clark, who had walked again to start the inning. 

The Captains will return to play Susquehanna again on Saturday at 1:00 pm.