FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- With the bullpen options all but exhausted as the Captains played in their fifth game in five days, rookie Colby Shriner (2-1) put together an epic relief appearance for CNU baseball on Sunday to lead the team in a comeback win. Behind six near-perfect rames from Shriner, the Captains chipped away at an early 6-1 deficit to tie the game up and force extras, where they downed Mary Washington in an 8-7 final. 

Christopher Newport knotted the game up at seven with a three-run eighth inning as the cardiac Captains struck late again. CNU now has three victories when trailing after seven innings and another two when the game is deadlocked in the eighth inning or later. The come-from-behind rallies have been status quo for the timely offense, which struck through with the eighth and deciding run in the top of the 12th. 

But while the offense pieced together the thrilling comeback, it was Shriner's steady hand on the mound that made the victory possible. Entered into the game in the bottom of the sixth, the Centreville, Va. product was nearly perfect. He retired 16 of the first 17 batters he faced with a lone infield single in the eighth the only threat. In his final frame, Shriner allowed a one-out walk for the only other baserunner he faced, but promptly struck out the next two batters to finish out his spectacular showing. 

Shriner faced only two batters more than the minimum over his six innings out of the pen, striking out four and not allowing a runner past first base. He took over when the Captains trailed, 7-4, and exited only after CNU took an 8-7 lead in the 12th. Sophomore Jack Rosenberg then stepped on in the bottom half of the last to earn his second career save. The lefty struck out one to secure his second save of the weekend. 

Offensively, the Captains struck first with a single run in the top of the first, but were stuck in a 6-1 hole before the frame finished. After Jonathan Fisher reached on an error and advanced to third on a wild pitch, he trotted home on a groundball out from Eric O'Brien. The senior catcher added to his team-leading RBI total with his 23rd of the season. 

In the second, CNU started to cut into the five-run deficit when Conner Clark ripped a two-run single into center field to plate Jay Cassady and Scott Crosson. In the fifth, Fisher scored again to make it 6-4 when Kyle Schofield delivered an RBI single into right center. The Eagles answered with a run of their own in the bottom half, to re-take a three-run advantage, 7-4. 

That would set up the comeback rally in the eighth for CNU. After Daniel Elliott reached on an error and moved up on a wild pitch, Alec Reilly delivered the first blow with an RBI single into center field. Crosson then walked to bring up the Captains' hottest bat in Jay Cassady. The rookie ripped a run-scoring single into center to pull the Captains back within one and put the game-tying run in scoring position. Brayden Hodges would be the next batter and he smashed a triple into right field. Cassady read it well off the bat, but had to slow his stride for the runner in front of him as they each raced around the bases; Crosson was safe to tie the game but the relay beat Cassady to the plate for the potential go-ahead run. 

Neither team could muster much offensively until the 12th when Reilly earned a one-out walk. After Crosson flew out to make it two outs, it was again Cassady who stepped in. For Captains fans paying attention, there is no one the team would rather see in that moment and Cassady lived up to the billing, driving an RBI double into right field. The eventual game-winning hit would hold up and extend Cassady's torrid run at the plate with his fourth consecutive multi-hit game. This week, the freshman first baseman hit .533 (8-15) with 13 RBI, 3 HR, 2 2B, and 7 runs scored. 

During Cassady's eight-game hitting streak, he has raised his batting average nearly 180 points from .208 to .377 while hitting .517 (15-29) in the stretch. Eight of his nine extra-base hits on the season have come in the hit streak with five doubles and three home runs. 

With Sunday's victory, the Captains improved to 15-7 overall and 8-3 in C2C action. Mary Washington dropped to 3-12, 2-7. 

Christopher Newport will look to add to it's five-game winning streak with a road trip to Lynchburg on Tuesday afternoon. The Captains take on the Hornets at 3:00 p.m.