The EMU Diamond Royals lost on the road at #13 Christopher Newport Tuesday afternoon by a score of 6-1. The Royals fall even to 3-3 on the early season while the Captains improve to 5-0.
The Royals play again this weekend hosting Penn St.-Harrisburg for doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday. All four games will be seven innings long with first pitch slated for noon both days.
EMU started out the game strong jumping on the scoreboard first in the fourth inning. Daniel Scott (Moneta, Va./Staunton River) led off the inning with a bunt single only to move up to second on an erred pickoff attempt. A double-steal moved Scott and Brett Lindsay (Gloucester, Va./Gloucester) into scoring position after he walked with one out to get on base. Ray Tricarico (Culpeper, Va./Eastern View) grounded out to short stop to bring in the Royals' only run.
Starting pitcher John Judy (Shanks, W.V./Hampshire) retired 15 of 16 CNU batters through five innings including the first 11 before allowing a single with two outs in the fourth inning just to go on and strike out the next batter and retire the side in the fifth.
The Royals made some noise again in the sixth inning as Zach Roberts (Stuarts Draft, Va. / Riverheads) and Lindsay had back-to-back singles to get men in scoring position, but the Captains were able to pitch themselves out of the jam.
Things started to get shaky for EMU in the bottom of the six as Judy walked the second batter of the inning to bring up the top of the lineup for a third time. After a hit by pitch with one out, Seth Woodward doubled in the first CNU run while moving the other runner to third. Jonathan Nagle (Chesapeake, Va./Portsmouth Christian) relieved Judy and allowed three more runs to come in to bring the score to 4-1. Gage Riddick (Gates County, N.C./Gates County) came into pitch and ended the inning with a strikeout.
The Captains used two sacrifice-flies to add more runs to their lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. Jacob Merica (Elkton, Va./East Rockingham) led off the top of the eighth inning with a double and was unable to come around to score.
DJ Williams (Newport News, Va./Tabb) threw a scoreless bottom of the eighth for the Royals while playing in his hometown. Tyler McFadden (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) reached base in all three of his plate appearances with a single and two walks while also playing close to home.