NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The fourth-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team was denied its fourth USA South Athletic Conference sweep today, as Piedmont College (12-11, 9-6) took the last game of the series, 5-3. The Captains (18-6-1, 14-4) got another quality start from junior Bryan Bierlein (4-2) while Billy Steel paced the offense, reaching base all four of his plate appearances. 

Bierlein retired the first nine batters of the game on Sunday, but got into some trouble in the fourth. Keith Grabowski and Colton Bryant opened the inning with back-to-back singles, and after a walk the bases were loaded. The junior righthander did a good job limiting the damage, but two runs would come around to score after a Logan Pethel single and an RBI walk by Michael Barnes. 

The Lions would tack on one run each in the fifth and sixth innings, as Bryant added an RBI groundout and Austin Brick hit an RBI double. The lead was 4-1 for Piedmont as the Captains offense attempted a late comeback. 

In the seventh inning, CNU got their first two batters on as Preston Grissom and Steel walked. They moved up on a sacrifice bunt by senior Christopher McDougal; then, Justin weaver lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Grissom. After another walk, rookie Kyle Corwin came through with a single to right center to plate Steel and cut the lead to one, 4-3. 

Piedmont answered though, with another run in the top of the eigth and solid relief by James Pearce and Jacob Brewster. The two relievers combined for 2.0 innings of scoreless work, giving up just one base runner. Brewster picked up his seventh save of the season.

Bierlein finished with the 15th straight quality start for a CNU pitcher in league play, tossing 6.0 innings with 3 ER and eight strikeouts. He allowed just five hits, but suffered the loss as he fell to 4-2 on the season. 

Steel was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, scoring once to pace the offense. McDougal was 2-for-3 to round out the multi-hit days for the Captains, driving in one run and adding a sac bunt. 

The Captains outhit the Lions, 8-7, while Austin Brick led the way for the Lions.  Brick was 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Grabowski added a 2-for-4 day and a run scored. 

Christopher Newport travels to Averett University next, taking on the Cougars in game on of the three-game conference set this Friday, March 22 at 3:00 pm.