NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Senior Billy Steel reached base in all five plate appearances, going 4-for-4 with a walk and a pair of doubles, leading an impressive performance by the middle of the lineup for CNU, as the Captains cruised to a 9-2 victory over Virginia Wesleyan on Monday. The 3-4-5 batters in the Captains' lineup combined for eight hits, including four extra-base knocks, while driving in six runs. 

CNU improves to 4-4 overall this season, winning their third straight game. The Marlins drop to 3-5 overall. 

CNU jumped out to an early lead when Tommy Vitaletti and Steel each scored after first-inning walks. With runners on first and third, the Captains put on a double steal to pick up the first run of the game. Senior Justin Weaver and junior Austin Kilbourne also walked in the inning, before Kyle Corwin came through with a sacrifice fly for the second run of the inning. 

With a 2-0 lead, senior Jacob Vaughan (1-0) settled in nicely on the hill for CNU. After giving up a pair of first inning singles, Vaughan allowed just three hits in the next four innings as he worked through the Marlins' lineup. After a lead-off single in the third, Vaughan helped himself when he picked off the runner, Brett Sutryk for the first out. It was the first of two pick-offs by the senior right-hander. He also nailed Austin Gammon at third in the fourth inning, helping get out of a first-and-third jam. 

Vaughan finished with 5.0 innings pitched, three strikeouts, five hits and four walks. He did not allow a run and picked up his first win of the season. 

The CNU offense added to his support with two runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth. Steel got things rolling in the fifth inning with a lead-off double. After a groundout moved him up to third, Kilbourne smoked a single up the middle to plate the senior shortstop. He would come around to score himself later in the inning, on a Travis Younger RBI groundout. 

In the sixth, with one runner on, Steel again came through with a big hit when he knocked home Collin Wilber with a two-out RBI single into left field. It spurred a three-run rally with two down in the sixth, as Kilbourne plated two more after a double by Weaver. 

The Marlins got on the board in the top half of the sixth, scoring on a bases-loaded passed ball. Junior Brett Mays got out of the tough spot, though, with just one run allowed, when he got a groundout up the middle and a flyout to right field. 

The CNU offense continued its hot hitting of late with nine hits in the game, scoring nine runs. The last two tallies came in the bottom of the eighth when Weaver hammered his second homer of the season, a towering shot over the right field foul pole. 

Steel's 4-for-4 performance was the sixth multi-hit performance of the young season and matched his career-high for hits in a contest. He scored four times and drove in one run. Weaver was 2-for-4 with two RBI adn two runs scored, while also tacking on a walk, while Kilbourne was 2-for-3 with three RBI, a run scored and a walk. In 14 total plate appearances, the trio reached base 11 times. 

In relief of Vaughan, the Captains saw four pitchers take the hill in Tuesday's contest. Rookie Caleb Myers gave up one earned in one-third of an inning, followed by 1.2 innings of one-hit relief from Mays. Junior Jordan Boze allowed just one walk in an inning pitched and junior Justin Garber closed out the game with two hits and an unearned run allowed in one inning of work. 

Sean Greiser (0-1) suffered the loss for the Marlins, going five innings in the start. He allowed just four hits and struck out eight, but allowed six walks and gave up four earned runs. Reed Duffer gave up three earned in an inning of work, followed by a clean appearance from Jake Miner and a two-run eighth-inning effort by Kevin Jeff. 

CNU will return to action this Thursday, February 27 as they travel to Hampden-Sydney College. The Tigers are receiving votes in this week's D3baseball.com Top 25, but the Captains will be playing for a season sweep after a 3-2 extra-inning win in the season opener at home. First pitch is slated for 2:00 pm.