BURLINGTON, N.C. -- The fourth-ranked Christopher Newport Captains (35-4) won the 2011 USA South Baseball Championship today, with its second win in three days over top-ranked Shenandoah University (31-4), 5-4. CNU scored two in the bottom of the eighth and Drue Vernon drove in the game-winning run in to lift the Captains over the Hornets.

"I'm just extremely proud of the guys," said head coach John Harvell. "They really stepped it up this weekend, came up with timely hitting and really just did what we had to do to win. We battled all week and even when we got down, we didn't give up on ourselves and we got hits when we needed them."

Timely hitting was indeed key for the Captains; down to the Hornets 4-1 in the top of the sixth, CNU scored runs in each of the final three innings to get past Shenandoah.

Catcher Ben Lenda cut the lead back to two with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the sixth. Then, in the bottom of the seventh, CNU manufactured a run to pull back within one. Connor Madden led off with a single and was moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Vernon. After a pitching change, Shannon Mark singled through the right side to score Madden, running the score to 4-3.

The Captains then followed the same pattern in the bottom of the eighth, tying the game up after Matt Shoemaker singled, moved up on a sacrifice and scored on a Billy Steel RBI single to right field. With the score knotted up at four, Steel moved up to third on a groundout by Madden, setting up the game-winning stroke by Vernon. The Captains senior outfielder stepped in and lifted a single into right field, plating Steel, the go-ahead run.

On the other side of the ball, sophomore reliever Matt Verdillo took the hill in the bottom of the seventh and pitched a pair of scoreless innings before giving way to closer Ryan Fleischmann. Fleischmann recorded his seventh save of the season by striking out two of the most potent bats in the Shenandoah lineup, Greg Van Sickler and Clint DeHaven. Verdillo earned the win, his third of the season.

CNU wins their first baseball championship since the 2008 season and the fourth in Harvell's coaching tenure. The Captains earn the USA South's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and will await the release of the committee's bracket including location and opponent for the regional round. Stay tuned to CNUsports.com for updates.

Steel was named the Tournament MVP, hitting .583 in the four games with five RBI, five runs and two extra-base hits. He was joined on the All-Tournament team by teammates Matt Shoemaker (2B), Luke Saunders (3B), Connor Madden (OF) and Matt Verdillo (P).