HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. -- Playing on the road for just the second time this season, the freshly-minted 24th-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team could not muster enough firepower on Tuesday afternoon to come from behind for the sixth time this season. The Tigers (8-4) snapped the Captains' (8-1) season-opening eight-game winning streak, winning 5-2. 

Averaging 11.8 runs per game coming into Tuesday's matchup, the Captains managed just two runs on four hits as the Tigers pitching staff earned a season split against CNU. In five of the eight wins this season, Christopher Newport has overcome a deficit and did so again on Tuesday afternoon, erasing a 2-run lead before the Tigers surged back ahead in the bottom of the sixth. 

Jimmy Butler (2-0) earned the win with a 6-inning start for Hampden-Sydney, giving up both CNU runs on four hits. Three relievers combined to shut out the Captains in the final three innings, including a save by Zach Perkins. 

Christopher Newport countered with a second consecutive solid start from junior Jaxn Lane, who allowed just two runs, one earned, over 5.0 innings of work. He struck out four and earned a no decision after CNU tied the game in the top of the sixth. Rookie Corey Williams (0-1) gave up three runs in relief before Michael Thomas and Caleb Myers finished out the game with three clean innings of work. 

Hampden-Sydney got on the board first with a run in each the first and second innings. Lee Carneal had an RBI single in the first to plate an unearned run, and Moe Gothe doubled down the right field line to score the second run. Lane settled down and retired eight of nine batters to get through the fourth. 

CNU cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third when junior A.J. Nicely hit his second home run of the season. In the top of the sixth, CNU appeared ready for one of its patented comebacks, as Austin Henry led off with a base hit single and moved to second on a sacrifice by Nicely. Tommy Vitaletti, the team's leading hitter, stepped in and delivered an RBI single to tie the game, but that would be all CNU could muster against Butler. 

In the bottom half of the inning, the Tigers grabbed momentum back when they scored three runs to re-take the lead. H-SC loaded the bases with nobody out when CNU called on Thomas out of the pen. He induced a groundball and the Captains threw out the runner at the plate, but the next batter lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to plate the go-ahead run. Gothe singled in another run and another came across after a CNU error. 

CNU threatened again in the ninth, earning back-to-back walks with one out, but a strikeout and groundout ended the threat and the Captains were saddled with their first loss of the season. 

Vitaletti, Henry, Nicely and Connor Henderson each registered hits in the game. Henderson extended his eight-game hitting streak with a single into left field in his first plate appearance. The eight-game winning streak was the best start in program history, besting a seven-game roll by the 1995 Captains. 

Christopher Newport will look to bounce back on Thursday, March 3 as they play host to Bridgewater College at 2:00 pm. The game is a make-up date from an earlier rainout; live stats will be available at CNUsports.com/live.