ASHLAND, Va. -- With six different players registering round trips, the Christopher Newport University baseball team tied a school record for home runs in a game, and the Captains blew past Randolph-Macon College (16-12) in non-conference action today. Back-to-back-to-back home runs in the second inning from Tommy Kane, Tommy Vitaletti and Billy Steel highlighted the action on Thursday, as CNU cruised to a 19-7 win over the Yellow Jackets. 

Ashland served as the launching pad for the nation's leading home run hitting team on Thursday, as CNU tied the team record for home runs in a game with six. Only once before has a CNU team blasted as many homers in a single game, doing so against Ferrum on March 12, 2011. It was the tenth multi-HR game of the season for CNU, and the 17th time this season the team registered 10 or more hits in the game. 

The show of power was clear early in the game, as CNU scored five runs in the second inning. Kyle Corwin and Justin Weaver kicked things off with back-to-back singles, and then advanced on a sacrifice bunt by A.J. Nicely. After the second out was recorded, junior catcher Tommy Kane stepped in and blistered his first career home run over the wall for a three-run shot. Vitaletti and Steel followed, each hitting solo home runs as CNU went back-to-back-to-back for an early 5-0 lead. 

Senior starter Jacob Vaughan (3-1) gave up one run in the bottom of the second, but settled in nicely with the lead. The right-hander tossed five strong innings, allowing just four hits and two runs. He struck out three before giving way to Cameron Parker in the sixth. Parker allowed five runs, two earned, over three innings of relief, striking out four. Caleb Myers stepped in to finish off the win, tossing a scoreless ninth inning. 

The CNU offense remained the story throughout, however, as the team added 13 runs in the middle innings, and tacked on one more in the top of the ninth. In the top of the fourth, senior Curtis Pittman stayed hot, blasting his fourth home run of the season. Steel added an RBI single and scored on an RBI single from Jacob Houston in the inning as the lead grew to 8-1. 

In the fifth, the power was back on display, as Weaver homered with one out, followed by a ground-rule double from Pittman. Kane and Vitaletti proved a dangerous combination again, hitting back-to-back RBI singles, followed by a pair of free passes from Steel and Houston that would net another run. Travis Younger picked up his first run driven in with a groundout, and Corwin added an RBI single as the inning wrapped up with six CNU runs on the board. 

The Captains weren't finished, adding four runs in the sixth, powered primarily by another big blast. Kane continued his strong performance with an infield single, followed by another hit from Vitaletti. Steel stepped in and drove in a run with a double down the left field line, but it was Younger who had the big hit this time, smacking a three-run home run with two outs. His dinger was the sixth of the game, tying the record, and he was the sixth different player to clear the fences. His blast also marked a new record for number of players with a home run in a single game for CNU. 

With the game in hand, the Captains offense continued to pepper the Randolph-Macon defense with hits, and tacked on another insurance run in the ninth as the reserves continued to swing the bat well. Bryant Lowry smoked a pinch hit double to right center, and came in to score on an RBI single from Collin Wilber. The run-scoring hit wrapped up an impressive performance by the CNU offense that included 19 runs on 21 hits, including nine extra-base knocks. Both the 21 hits and 19 RBI tied season-high marks for the Captains.

Kane, Vitaletti and Steel each had three hits in the game, and combined for nine RBI and 11 runs scored. The trio finished 9-15 with a pair of walks and one hit-by-pitch, reaching base in 67% of their plate appearances. Steel continued to climb the all-time charts at CNU, finishing the game with an even 600 career at-bats, becoming just the second player in school history to reach that mark. His performance saw him move up to third on the career RBI and total bases list, passing Rob Robinson in both categories, and third on the career walks list, passing Matt Turner; Steel now has 135 career RBI, 321 total bases and 85 career walks.

Corwin, Weaver, Pittman and Houston each added multi-hit performances, while 11 different Captains registered at least one hit in the game. 

The Captains will close out the Capital Athletic Conference regular season this Saturday, April 12, as they hit the road to take on regular season champion York College (Pa.) for a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is scheduled for Noon.