FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- While the offense has highlighted the Captains' surge through the month of March, scoring 114 runs in an 11 game run heading into Wednesday's matchup, it was a masterful pitching performance that helped CNU secure it's 12^th straight win. Behind rookie starter Gray Goodrich and sophomore reliever Brian Owens, Christopher Newport improved to 20-4 with a 4-0 start in conference play after a 3-1 win at Mary Washington on Wednesday, playing through steady rain on the road.
 
Goodrich (4-1) picked up his fourth win after pitching into the seventh inning for the first time in his career. The pitching effort was supported by multiple key defensive plays, as the freshman right-hander cruised through the first five frames with little issue. Goodrich allowed baserunners in each of the first two innings, but double plays erased the Mary Washington threats. Then, after a single in the third, back-to-back groundballs back to the pitcher closed out the inning. Having faced only one batter more than the minimum through three, Goodrich then mowed down the Eagles in order in the 4^th and 5^th.
 
In the sixth, Mary Washington threatened against the rookie again, with a single and an error, putting two runners on with only one out. Goodrich settled, though, getting the lead runner on a bunt attempt and an inning-ending flyout to right.
 
On the offensive side of the ball, catcher Ryan Grubbs got all the support his battery-mate would need with a two-run double in the second inning. With one out, Nicholas Baham walked and Craig Johnson singled into left field. Grubbs stepped in two batters later and smashed a two-out double into left to plate the first two runs of the game.
 
CNU would gake a 3-0 lead with a single run in the fourth, again started by Baham. The junior first baseman singled to lead off the inning, and one-out walks from Nick DiNapoli and Grubbs loaded the bases. A deep fly ball to right off the bat of Austin Henry would score Baham on a sacrifice fly.
 
Goodrich went back to the mound in the 7^th inning, but was unable to record an out as the third time through the order proved costly for the rookie arm. David Slupek led off with a double and Christian Hague scored him with a single. After another single, the Captains would go to the bullpen, finishing out Goodrich's day with a 6.0+, 1 ER, 6 H, 1 K performance.
 
Stepping to the mound with two on and nobody out, clinging to a two-run lead, sophomore Brian Owens made quick work of the Eagles would-be threat with a groundball, strikeout, and line drive to center to escape the inning without further damage. It was the start of a dominant pitching performance that earned the second-year lefty his first career save. Owens would retire nine of the 10 batters he faced, nearly perfect through three innings of relief. After escaping the jam in the seventh, he tossed a 1-2-3 eighth with a strikeout, and then slammed the door with three strikeouts in the ninth.

Owens finished with 3.0 shutout innings, 5 K, 1 H, and 0 runs allowed. His dominant season continues with a 1-0 record, 1.54 ERA and now one save this season. He has struck out 37 batters in 23.1 innings of work.

CNU also tacked on an insurance run in the top of the eighth when Johnson and Grubbs each reached on errors by the second baseman. The latter plated the former, and CNU took a 4-1 lead headed into the final two defensive frames. 

Grubbs was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI and a walk to lead the offense, while rookie Conner Clark added a two-hit performance. Baham and Johnson scored two runs each. 

The 12th straight win for the Captains is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the nation across all three NCAA divisions. It is also the fourth longest roll in program history. 

CNU will return to action with a doubleheader on Saturday at York College of Pennsylvania.