NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Rookie Josh Husby tossed seven shutout innings with a career-high nine strikeouts against the University of Mary Washington on Tuesday afternoon, helping No. 5 Christopher Newport baseball blank the Eagles, 5-0. Husby improves to 3-0 after combining with a pair of relievers for the fifth shutout of the season for the Captains. 

The Captains improved to 26-4 overall this season while winning the team's first 10 conference games of the year. CNU extended the second longest win streak in program history to 18 games while improving to 11-2 at Captains Park this season. 

Husby did the lion's share of the work on the breezy weekday afternoon, allowing just five hits without issuing a single free pass. After leading the effort on the mound for seven scoreless, he gave way to sophomore reliever Brian Owens, who promptly tossed a perfect 8th inning with three strikeouts.

Senior Joe Burris came on to wrap up the conference shutout, making his 68th career appearance. With the one-inning effort, Burris matched the Capital Athletic Conference record for career appearances, tying Caleb Myers (CNU) and Star Kriger (Salisbury). On Tuesday, Burris wrapped up the historical appearance with three strikeouts in a shutout ninth frame. 

As a staff, the three pitchers struck out 15 batters without issuing a walk.

Offensively, CNU scored one run each in the first three innings and then tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth. Conner Clark walked in the bottom of the first and raced home to score on a Brandon Ginch RBI double down the right field line. In the second inning, Craig Johnson walked and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Nick DiNapoli. After a groundball to move up to third, Jordan Mason drove in Johnson for the second run of the game. In the third, Ginch started things with a one-out single, and moved up to third on a single by Nicholas Baham. The senior DH would trot home on a single by DiNapoli into left field to put the Captains ahead, 3-0. 

CNU scored two more in the bottom of the eighth with a small two-out burst, started by a a Conner Clark walk. Seth Woodard reached on an infield single and Ginch capped a strong day with a two-run double to deep left field. 

The Captains finished with 10 hits, including a 3-for-4 effort from Ginch, who drove in three and scored once. He also reached on a walk to continue a tear at the plate that has seen him post six straight multi-hit games for the Captains. He is a red-hot .720 over the past six games, going 18-for-25 at the dish with nine extra-base hits. Ginch has added three walks and three HBP in that stretch to reach base 24 times in 31 plate appearances over the last six games for an on-base percentage of .774. 

CNU will return to action on Thursday as they travel to Salisbury University, ranked No. 24 in this week's D3baseball.com Top 25, for a 3:00 pm first pitch.