NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- With a one-out double laced into right center field in the top of the third inning, Christopher Newport senior outfielder Conner Clark set the program record for career hits with his 232nd career base knock. On his historic day, Clark and the nationally-ranked Captains came from behind to capture a thrilling 9-8 win in extra innings on Tuesday afternoon against Washington and Lee University. 

After taking the field in the top of the first inning, Clark also made history by joining Billy Steel with a team-record 172 career games played and started.  In addition to the participation milestone, the consistent presence atop the Captains' lineup for the last five seasons did not waste any time in setting the all-time hits mark after tying Jordan Mason's previous record on Saturday afternoon. In his second at-bat of the day, Clark smoked an 0-1 pitch into the gap in right center field for a two-bagger, his 31st career double. 

The record-setting leadoff man from Chesapeake, Va. now holds Christopher Newport baseball records for games played, games started, hits, stolen bases, and sacrifice bunts. He also ranks second all-time in career runs scored, at-bats, and sixth in career walks. 

In Tuesday's game, the Captains trailed the Generals, 6-1, after the top half of the fifth inning, but the Captains rallied with eight runs after the midway point to capture the win. CNU smashed three two-run home runs, including the team-leading 13th off the bat of Justin Bowers and a mammoth go-ahead shot by Michael Martorano in the bottom of the seventh. 

Clark opened the Captains offensive performance by reaching base in the bottom of the first on a walk and advancing to third on a balk and a stolen base. He then trotted home on a sacrifice fly by Bowers to give CNU an early 1-0 lead. 

The Generals responded with single runs in the second and third to take a 2-1 lead. They would build the advantage with a four-run fifth inning to take a 6-1 lead. 

The Captains responded in loud fashion in the bottom of the fifth by matching the four-run frame to pull back within one run, 6-5. Scott Crosson reached on a one-out single to center field and then advanced to second on another balk by the W&L pitching staff. Then, on a 1-1 pitch, Bowers put a charge into a pitch that left the yard in the deepest part of the ballpark for his 13th home run of the season. His two-run blast to center field carried well over 400 feet and moved him into a tie for fifth all-time at CNU for homers in a season (Chris Phaup - 2003, Seth Woodard - 2018, and Nick DiNapoli - 2019). 

Two batters later, Alec Reilly stepped in and delivered a near identical blast to right center field. On an 0-1 pitch with a runner on, the veteran outfielder crushed a two-run blast over the wall for his third round-tripper of the season. 

Utlizing the long ball, the Captains completed the comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning when senior Michael Martorano stepped to the plate with one on and one out. Facing a 1-0 count, the Marlboro, New Jersey native tagged one to left that left no doubt, sailing high over the netting and onto the road beyond the fencing. The go-ahead two-run missile was his third home run of the season.

The Captains called on Kyle Lewis out of the pen with two outs in the fifth and the sophomore reliever cooled the Generals bats considerably. He struck out a pair in a clean sixth and worked a perfect seventh frame with another punchout. After Martorano's dinger gave him the lead, Lewis looked dominant in the eighth, striking out the side on 12 pitches. 

In the bottom of the eighth, the Captains tacked on what would prove to be an imperative insurance run when Bowers singled into left and stole second with two outs. Reilly nearly slipped a single through the right side, but a phenomenal diving stop would have held the runner at third were it not for an errant throw that allowed Bowers to scamper home. As mentioned, the run proved critical as Washington and Lee rallied for two in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 8-8. 

After CNU failed to score in the bottom half, the Captains went into extra innings for the first time in 2022. Danny Checkosky came on to pitch for the Captains and struck out the first two batters he faced. After a weak single to right field, Checkosky closed out the top of the tenth with a fielder's choice groundball up the middle. 

Crosson led off the bottom half with a walk and Bowers nearly ended it with another blast, but the ball held up just feet shy as the center fielder tracked down the shot on the warning track. A wild pitch then moved up Crosson and he scooted over to third on a groundball out by Daniel Elliott. After Reilly drew an intentional walk, Brayden Hodges stepped to the plate for just his second plate appearance of the game after entering as a defensive replacement. 

Hodges watched two balls out of the zone before fouling off a pair and falling into a 2-2 count. Fighting off the next pitch, Hodges got it off the end of the bat for a slow roller toward third base. With two outs and everyone moving, Crosson raced home as the play was bobbled by the Generals defender, allowing Hodges to reach for the game-winning play. 

All three Captains that homered in the game finished with two-hit performances to lead the way as Martorano was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored, Reilly was 2-for-5 with a walk, 2 RBI, and a run scored, and Bowers stayed scalding hot at the dish going 2-for-3 with two walks, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Over the last week, Bowers has played in five games, reaching base in 16 of his 23 plate appearances (.696 OBP) while hitting .462 (6-13) with five home runs, 11 RBI, and 9 runs scored. 

Connor Pennell started the game on the mound for the Captains, striking out a pair while walking one and allowing six hits over 4.0 IP. Lewis tossed 3.1 innings, striking out six with two hits and one run allowed, while Elliott gave up one unearned run on one hit in one inning of relief. Closing out his second win of the season, Checkosky struck out a pair and allowed one hit. 

The Captains will return to action for Senior Day on Saturday, April 23 as the Captains host the University of Mary Washington starting at Noon for a Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Doubleheader.