NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- For just the third time in head coach John Harvell's tenure, and only the sixth in the history of CNU baseball, the Captains were forced to settle for a draw Wednesday, tying Hampden-Sydney College, 7-7.  The two teams were knotted up after nine innings before the game was called due to darkness, dropping CNU to 8-1-1 on the season, while the Tigers improve to 2-5-1. 

Since 1999, the Captains have only had to take a draw twice, both coming in 2009; that stretches a span of over 560 games. 

On Wednesday, it was the home team that took an early lead and managed to hold on as the CNU offense rallied in the middle innings. A four-run first inning was key for the Tigers, scoring all the runs with two outs, and all four came in on singles. H-SC would tack on one more in the second, as James Keller singled in Jeff Gray to take a 5-0 lead. 

The middle of the lineup would step up for CNU, though, as they mounted a comeback. To start the fourth, Billy Steel singled, followed by a Christopher McDougal double and walk from rookie Bryant Lowry. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Justin Weaver brought in a run with an RBI single, followed by a run-scoring groundout by Jacob Houston. A third run would score, cutting the lead to two, when Lowry came in on a stolen base by Houston. 

An RBI double off Lowry's bat was key in a two-run fifth as CNU pulled back within one run, 6-5. McDougal also had a run-scoring groundout in the inning. 

CNU capped the comeback in the top of the sixth on a single from Preston Grissom. Curtis Pittman walked to start the inning and pitcher Adam Emerson laid down a sacrifice bunt to move him over. The sophomore outfielder then hit a shot to the outfield, plating Pittman and knotting things up at six. 

The tie was short-lived, as Hampden-Sydney scooted back ahead in the bottom half. The Tigers scored an unearned run on Emerson, who pitched three strong innings of relief for the Captains. He gave up a leadoff double, but the run only scored aided by an errant throw on a ground ball. The sophomore transfer tossed three innings, allowing just one hit while striking out four. 

Still, the CNU offense responded again, answering in the top of the seventh to tie things up at 7-7. It was Bryant Lowry again, with his second consecutive run-scoring double that tied things up, scoring Steel who reached on a hit-by-pitch to start the inning. 

In the final three innings, seniors Richard Lindsay and Matt Verdillo were perfect, retiring nine straight batters. Verdillo struck out three to help hold the tie for CNU. Over the last six innings, the Captains bullpen allowed just one unearned run on one hit, and struck out seven. 

Lowry led the way offensively, going 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, two RBI and a run scored. He added a pair of walks, reaching base in four of his five at-bats. McDougal, Weaver and Grissom each added multi-hit performances, and Steel reached base four times as well. 

CNU will stay on the road as they travel to Greensboro College this weekend, taking on the Pride in a three-game series starting Friday night. The Captains play their first night game on Feb 22 at 7:00 pm against GC.