MIDDLETOWN, Pa. -- Making up a Capital Athletic Conference doubleheader that was rained out last weekend, the 16th-ranked Christopher Newport baseball team clinched a spot in the 2016 CAC Baseball Tournament with a split on the road at Penn State Harrisburg. The CNU pitching staff allowed just seven hits in the two games, winning game one 4-2 before suffering a 3-0 setback in game two. 

With the split, CNU improved to 24-10 overall with a 9-7 record in conference play. Penn State Harrisburg got a stellar pitching outing from Mark Atley (3-3) in the second game, as the Lions improved to 16-18, 8-8. With two games left in the regular season, seeding is still yet to be determined for next week's CAC Tournament. The first round games will be held on Tuesday, April 19 at the home site of seeds 1-3, with the top seed then hosting the remainder of the tournament April 21-23. 

In game one, CNU senior Blake Ream put together one of his best starts of the season against the Lions, holding the conference opponent to just one earned run in 5.0+ innings of work. Ream took care of the first inning on his own with a strikeout and two groundball outs back to the pitcher, and worked around a jam in the second. After the first two batters reached, Ream struck out Travis VanHo and induced an inning-ending double play by Will Quiles. 

The offense came to his aid in the top of the third, when Austin Henry led things off with a double. Senior Tommy Vitaletti delivered an RBI single to center field, and then came around to score three batters later when Connor Henderson singled off the pitcher, giving CNU a 2-0 lead. Ream responded with another 1-2-3 inning, needing just seven pitches to get through the bottom of the 3rd inning. 

Penn State Harrisburg cut the lead in half in the 4th when Tom Dennisto grounded out to short, chasing home Scott Angsta for the first run of the game for the Lions. After a double by Connor Bower, Ream got out of the inning with a strikeout and ground ball to short. After a single and an error led off the bottom of the 6th, the Captains turned to reliever Joe Burris (3-0) as Ream's day was finished with a strong line. He allowed just three hits and struck out four in 5.0+ innings of work. 

The Lions knotted the score on an error, forcing Ream into a no decision. Burris got out of a bases loaded jam without any further damage, getting a groundball to first and a strikeout to end the threat. In the top of the 7th, Nick Domenic (1-1) took over on the mound for Penn State Harrisburg. Rookie Jordan Mason walked on four straight pitches to open the inning, and the Lions turned to Cody Dakin to pitch to Henry. The freshman laid down a sacrifice bunt to put the go-ahead run on second with Vitaletti striding to the plate. After falling behind in the count, 1-2, Vitaletti was unphased and smashed a go-ahead two-run home run to re-take the lead. 

Vitaletti's blast was his 10th of the season. He is the first player to hit 10 in a season since Billy Steel in 2014 and it is just the 16th time in program history a player has hit 10 or more home runs. 

With the lead back in hand, Burris closed out the 7th with two groundballs and a strikeout, and turned the ball over to Caleb Myers for the 8th. The junior right-hander was perfect in his inning, retiring the side in order, 1-2-3. Finally, in the bottom of the 9th, senior closer Adam Emerson struck out two in a scoreless frame to pick up his sixth save of the season. 

Led by Ream, the Captains pitching staff allowed just four hits in the game, while Vitaletti paced the Captains offense going 3-for-3 with a walk. 

Artley was the story in game two, as the Penn State Harrisburg starter allowed just four hits over eight shutout innings against the potent Captains' lineup. He struck out 12 and gave way to Brendan Riot in the top of the 9th to close out the game for the save. 

The CNU pitching staff was tremendous, allowing just three hits to the home team between six different pitchers, but the Lions put two runs on the board in the 2nd and one more in the 5th. Bower scored the first run of the game as he raced home on an error, and Ethan Kell also scored on a wild pitch later in the inning. In the 5th, the Lions tacked on one more with a bases loaded walk, but Burris came on with two outs to escape another bases-loaded situation. 

All eight hits in the game were singles, as both pitching staffs dominated the opposing offenses. Ryan Powell (3-2) started and suffered the loss for CNU. Austin Slough struck out four in 2.2 innings of relief, and Logan Aylor struck out a pair, but also walked three to set up the bases loaded jam for Burris. Myers stepped in for two innings in game two, striking out a pair to finish the day with three straight perfect innings, and Craig Johnson rounded out the Captains' pitching with a scoreless 8th. 

Artley improved to 3-3 while Riot picked up his fourth save of the season. 

Christopher Newport will close out the CAC regular season on Saturday, hosting Wesley College on Senior Day at Captains Park, with first pitch scheduled for Noon. Live stats will be available at CNUsports.com/live.