NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Captains' pitching staff struck out 24 batters and senior Craig Johnson led another dominant offensive showing as the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team swept St. Mary's College of Maryland (6-5, 0-2) on a brisk Saturday afternoon at Captains Park. In game one, Logan Harrelson and Jaret West combined for a three-hit shutout to win 8-0, and in game two Johnson went 3-for-3 with a two-run home run as CNU pulled away for an 11-3 win.  

Senior Logan Harrelson (3-0) put together one of the finest efforts in his career during the first game with seven shutout innings. He struck out a season-high nine batters and, for the second time this year, went at least seven clean frames with only three hits allowed. 

While the starting pitching was excellent, the Captains' bullpen put together a stellar effort against the Seahawks on Saturday. In seven innings combined between the two games, CNU relievers allowed only three hits and struck out eight batters to help secure the wins.  

In relief of Harrelson, it was sophomore Jaret West who slammed the door on any thoughts of a St. Mary's comeback. In the eighth inning he tossed six pitches to retire the side in order and in the ninth, he threw another perfect inning with a pair of strikeouts. In game two, the bullpen was led by game-winner Austin Slough (3-1) with two perfect innings of relief, followed by Logan Aylor, Corey Williams, and Joe Burris each with one clean frame. 

Offensively, the Captains combined for 20 hits in the twin bill, led by a 5-for-6 day by Craig Johnson. Johnson was 2-for-3 in the first game with a pair of runs scored, and the senior right fielder went 3-for-3 with 4 RBI, 2 runs and a two-run homer in the second. 

In the first game of the double-dip, the Captains gave their starting pitcher all he would need with a single run in each of the first three innings. A five-run fourth broke the game open and provided the final tally, 8-0. Junior Seth Woodard provided an RBI in each of his first three at-bats, with a pair of sacrifice flies and a solo home run to left field. The round-tripper capped a five-run fourth inning that saw Ryan Grubbs deliver an RBI double to right center and Jordan Mason pound an RBI single into center field. 

Harrelson was perfect through the 11 batters he faced, including a run five straight strikeouts. After a double in the fourth, he struck out another to end the inining and then worked quickly to just three batters in the fifth and sixth innings. 

In game two, rookie Josh Husby looked to be off to a similar start on the mound when the first six outs of the ballgame came via swinging strikeouts. He ran into a little trouble in the third, giving up an RBI single to Dan McCann, but settled down to induce an inning-ending double play. 

The offense staked their freshman starter to a 3-0 lead in the first, kickstarted when Woodard singled home Mason for the first run. Johnson delivered the first of his four RBI on a single into right field and Nick DiNapoli followed with an RBI knock through the right side. CNU scored three more in the third after Woodard reached on a hit-by-pitch and Brandon Ginch hammered a double into the left field corner.  After advancing on a passed ball, Ginch would scramble home on a failed pick-off attempt for the second run of the inning. Johnson reached on a walk and stole second, and then was driven in by Brandon Walker on a single through the left side. 

With a 6-1 lead, the Captains gave up a two-run homer in the fourth to cut the lead to three. That would be the last of the offense for the visiting team, though, as Husby picked up his seventh strikeout and closed the inning with a highlight-reel over-the-shoulder catch to end the threat with two runners in scoring position. 

Johnson's home run was smashed to right center field with one on in the bottom of the fifth, continuing his terrific day. CNU scored one more on an RBI double by Austin Henry, plating DiNapoli to take a 9-3 lead. CNU added two more in the bottom of the sixth when Ginch and Johnson each singled home runs. 

The CNU offense has now scored 199 runs in their first 22 games for an average of over 9 runs per game. Hitting .312 as a team, the Captains have seven regulars hitting .291 or better this season. On the mound, CNU has lowered their team ERA to 3.15 with 237 strikeouts in 197.0 innings pitched. The Captains have now tossed four shutouts so far this season. 

The Captains are on the road for two weeks, starting with a trip to Hampden-Sydney College on Monday, March 26.