WILSON, N.C. -- Led by the efforts of the newly crowned USA South Pitcher and Player of the Year, the top-seeded Christopher Newport Captains (28-9-1) breezed into the second round of the conference tournament with a 6-1 win over #8-seed Greensboro College (15-23). Junior Austin Chrismon (7-3) tossed six scoreless innings and Justin Weaver was 3-for-3 with a two-run home run to lead the way for CNU on Thursday.

In the opening game of the 2013 USA South Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament, the Captains jumped on Greensboro starter, John Atkins, and held on to advance in the championship bracket. CNU will take on the winner of game two between #4 LaGrange and #5 Piedmont at 10:00 am on Friday, April 12.

Chrismon, named the Conference Pitcher of the Year on Wednesday, was locked in from the start. In his appearance against the Pride in the regular season, Chrismon suffered a 2-1 loss despite striking out a program-record 18 batters in the complete game setback. This time around, the offense would not fail him. In the second inning, senior Christopher McDougal led off with a triple to right center field, just the second three-base hit of his career. Then, the nation's leading run producer, Weaver, would smack a double to plate the game's first run. After a pair of outs, freshman Kyle Corwin stepped in and singled to center field to plate Weaver. 

With a 2-0 lead, Chrismon would go on a big run, retiring 11 straight batters from the 3rd to the 6th inning. He would finish the game with two singles allowed in six innings of work, striking out six batters. He would face just 20 batters in six innings of work, picking up his seventh win of the year to tie for the national lead. 

Offensively, CNU would tack on four more runs in the fourth and fifth innings to back their junior ace. Weaver led off the fourth with a double and came around to score on a single by rookie Travis Younger. Then, in the fifth, junior Billy Steel would stroke a two-out double to left center field, off the bottom of the wall. 

The fireworks were just beginning, as McDougal singled through the right side to score Steel, bringing up Weaver for his third at-bat. Already 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, the Conference Player of the Year put together one of the finest at-bats of the day. He fell behind 0-2 in the count, but fouled off seven pitches in the at-bat before the count ran full. Then, Atkins tried to beat Weaver inside but the junior left-handed batter pounded a long home run to right center field, giving CNU a 6-0 edge. 

With just 74 pitches thrown, Chrismon was relieved by senior Richard Lindsay in the seventh. Greensboro got one run off the right-handed reliever, the first earned run allowed by Lindsay against the USA South this season. He escaped a bases loaded jam without any further damage, though, striking out Jordan Powell. In the eighth, senior lefty Matt Verdillo pitched an uneventful frame, striking out one and allowing just one walk. With a 6-1 lead, sophomore Adam Emerson would pitch the ninth, striking out a pair and getting an infield flyout to secure the win. 

Weaver finished out the day with a 3-for-3 performance, adding a walk in his fourth plate appearance. He had three runs scored and three RBI to lead the offense that had six extra-base hits on the day. Steel had a pair of doubles, going 2-for-4 with a run scored, and McDougal's triple was part of a 2-for-4 effort with two runs scored an an RBI. 

Four different GC players registered a hit in the game, all singles. Steven Pfeiffer singled and scored in the seventh to lead the way. 

Christopher Newport will advance to play at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C. on day two of the tournament, where the tournament will finish at the home of the Carolina Mudcats, a Cleveland Indians minor league affiliate. First pitch is set for 10 am with live stats available at CNUsports.com