NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Three different Captains connected on two-run home runs to lead the 18th-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team to a 12-2 win at home on Tuesday afternoon, downing Pfeiffer University (9-13). Josh Reinhold, Lincoln Lubsen, and Gus Croll left the yard in the 5th, 7th, and 8th innings to expand on an early lead for the Captains as they pulled away from the Falcons. 

In all, the Captains connected on five extra-base hits in the game with the three round-trippers highlighting the action while Cameron Slough added a pair of doubles and Eric Wilson reached on a two-bagger as well. 

On the mound, fifth-year senior Dylan Weber picked up his fourth win of the season after a five-inning outing against Pfeiffer on Tuesday. He struck out seven while allowing a single run on four hits in the start. In relief, Marcus Dux and Denny Checkosky combined for five strikeouts over the next three innings as the CNU offense built a substantial lead. Then, in the ninth inning, a triumphant return from the bullpen came in the form of both Colby Shriner and Colin D'Arcy, as each pitched for the first time in 2024. 

Shriner opened the ninth in his first appearance since March 1, 2022 when an injury sidelined him for the rest of his sophomore and the entirety of his junior campaign. His first pitch in over two years induced a quick first out with a pop-up to Doc Daniels to third base. He also got a groundball out to the left side before giving way to D'Arcy, who had not appeared since May 21, 2022. Facing his first live action in nearly two full years, D'Arcy struck out the only batter he faced on four pitches to close the door on the Pfeiffer Falcons. 

The scoring started in the top of the 2nd inning when Pfeiffer scored on a bases loaded groundout before Weber limited the damage with a strikeout looking. The Captains got the run back in the bottom of the 3rd and took the lead with a second tally. Wilson started things off with a double over the third baseman's head and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Rookie Jacob Koenig delivered a hard shot into right field to plate the first run for CNU and then promptly stole second to get himself into scoring position.

In his second at-bat of the game, Reinhold extended his streak of consecutive games reaching base when he singled into center field to put runners at the corners. The sophomore shortstop was in the leadoff spot for the first time in his career this season and reached base in his 64th straight game. One batter later, Jake Benedict hammered a deep fly ball to the wall in center field that was hauled in, but plated the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. 

Pfeiffer nearly scratched across the game-tying run in the top of the fourth when Thomas Ashby singled through the left side with runners at first and second. The Falcons tested the arm of Ayden Stuffel in left field , sending the runner on the single and the Captains' sophomore sent a laser to the plate to get the out for his third outfield assist of the season. 

The momentum-shifting play fired up Weber, who struck out the side in the top of the fifth on just 13 pitches. In his final inning of the start, Weber retired the side in order, 1-2-3, with three straight strikeouts to finish the outing with seven. 

The offense also got moving in the fifth when Croll walked and stole second with Reinhold at the plate. On a 1-1 pitch, Reinhold turned on a pitch and lifted a no-doubter over the left field wall to add to the lead and put CNU on top, 4-1. After Dux worked quickly through the sixth and seventh, facing just seven batters, the Captains then added another two-run blast in the bottom of the seventh. Benedict reached on a hit-by-pitch before Lincoln Lubsen stepped in and worked himself into a hitter's count at 2-0. The leading slugger for CNU lifted off with a towering, leaning drive that stayed fair down the left field line for a two-run shot and a 6-1 lead. 

CNU then broke the game open with a six-run eighth inning, doubling their run total on three hits and an error. Koenig led off with a HBP before Croll smashed his second home run of the season to make it 8-1. Benedict walked with one out and Lubsen singled up the middle. After Daniels reached on an error to plate a run, Ayden Stuffel reached on another HBP. That would lead to the second double of the day for rookie Cameron Slough, sliding a fiery groundball inside the third-base bag to drive in a pair. The final run of the game for CNU would come two batters later when Koenig hit one deep to center field for a sacrifice fly. 

Four Captains finished with multi-hit performances in the game including a 2-for-2 showing with a walk from Koenig with two runs and two RBI. Lubsen reached in three of his five plate appearances while also scoring twice with two RBI. 

Christopher Newport will return to action this Saturday, April 6 against Mary Washington at 1:00 p.m. The Captains will host the Eagles in the first Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference matchup of the season.