BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- The Bridgewater College baseball team knocked off No. 18 Christopher Newport 5-4 on Wednesday afternoon.
THE BASICS
Final Score: Bridgewater 5, No. 18 Christopher Newport 4
Records: Bridgewater 4-9, No. 18 Christopher Newport 12-5

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game One

• The Captains struck first in the top of first inning as Scott Crosson led off the game with a double an came in to score on a base knock by Jake Benedict. CNU added two more in the frame thanks to a bases loaded walk and a RBI ground out to make it 3-0 before the Eagles got to swing the bat.
• Bridgewater bounced back in the bottom of the first thanks to a leadoff single by Jarrett Biesecker. Jeffrey Snider stepped to the plate next and belted a two-run blast to right field over the tall wall to put the Eagles on the board. Brandan Hartman followed the blast with a double of his own but was stranded.
• Tannery Ray took the mound next for BC in the top of the second and went to work against the No. 18 team in the land. Ray retired the first two hitters he faced but a pair of walks put the reliever in a tough spot before a play by Timothy Hopson at short ended the frame.
• The Eagles gave Ray some run support in the bottom of the third thanks to back-to-back homers. Snider led the inning off with a walk and swiped second to get in scoring position with Hartman at the dish. The catcher delivered with a dep fly ball to left that cleared the fence to give BC its first lead of the afternoon. Collin Reid stepped to the plate next and turned on a pitch and put it over the tall wall in right to extend the Bridgewater lead to 5-3.
• Jaden Isidro relieved Ray in the top of the fourth and got in a tough spot with the bases loaded but the freshman dug deep and recorded a punch out for the final out of the frame. Nick Griffin relieved Isidro in the fifth and retired the side in order. Griffin came back out for the sixth and started the inning quick with back-to-back strikeouts, but a single and a walk put two men on for CNU. Jake Benedict came to the plate next but popped a pitch up in foul territory that Snider grabbed to end the inning.
• James Swart came on for BC in the seventh and worked through the frame despite allowing a double. In the eighth Swart started the frame with a groundout but walked the next batter to bring the tying run to the plate. The next Captains hitter was sat down looking by Swart but a single by Zach Dzarnowski in the next at bat for the visitors cut the lead to just one as the runner came home to score. Coach Ben Spotts called on Brett Tharp to come in and close out the side and induced a ground ball to Cam Herron at second to conclude the inning.
• Herron drew a walk for BC in the bottom half of the eight but was left stranded giving Tharp just one run to work with. The right-hander delivered and struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win for BC.

GAME STATS

• Hartman was just a triple short of the cycle as the catcher went 3/4 at the plate with a trio of RBI.
• Ray took the win for BC to move to 2-0 on the season. Ray went two innings and allowed just one hit to go along with a pair of strike outs.
• Tharp picked up the four-out save for his first of the campaign as he retired every hitter he faced.
• Jack Anderson took the loss for CNU after tossing three innings and allowing seven hits and all five of the Captains runs.
• The Bridgewater pitching staff recorded 13 strikeouts for the second consecutive day as every pitcher that saw action recorded a punch out.

UP NEXT

• The Eagles are back in action with another nationally ranked opponent on Sunday as they battle No. 12 Lynchburg to open the ODAC slate. Game one is set for 12 p.m. in Lynchburg