NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Christopher Newport University junior designated hitter Brandon Ginch hit for the program's first cycle since 2002, leading the charge as the Captains blew past Eastern Mennonite University (5-3) on Wedneday afternoon, 14-3. CNU improved to 8-6 with the win, after blistering 10 extra-base hits against the Royals pitching staff. 

Ginch was 4-for-4 with 5 RBI, 3 runs scored, and the historic performance was nearly overshadowed by a pair of mammoth home runs off the bat of Craig Johnson, who finished 3-for-3 with 4 RBI.

The cycle was the first for CNU since the 2002 NCAA Regional when Jon Hurd led a dominant 17-1 victory over York College of Pennsylvania with a 4-for-5, 7 RBI effort on May 17, 2002. It was the first four-hit performance of Ginch's career, and the sixth multi-hit game of the season. 

The Captains started out trailing the Royals on Wednesday, as the visitors jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings of work. Ginch started working on his cycle in the second with a lead-off double, pierced to the right center field gap, but the Captains stranded him at third base. In the top of the third, Zach Roberts and Damon Frazier had RBI hits in the inning to put the Royals on top by three. Sophomore Austin Slough came on in relief and picked up a strikeout and a groundball to strand three runners and avoid any further damage. 

The CNU offense would respond loudly, tying the game on a pair of home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Facing EMU reliever Bailey Hall, Nicholas Baham led off with a single into left field, bringing up Ginch for a powerful shot over the left field wall to make it 3-2. Two batters later, Johnson hammered a long home run to left center to tie things up at three. The game was tied for only a moment, as Brandon Walker walked, and Austin Henry singled to center to set up a two-run double off the bat of Jordan Mason. 

With a 5-3 lead, the Captains pitching staff settled in and the offense kept attacking. Slough (1-1) rolled through the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, with only one runner allowed in each frame. He finished the game with 3.2 effective innings of relief to pick up the victory, allowing just three hits while striking out a pair. The bats continued to pick up steam, scoring three in the fifth and six more in the sixth inning. 

After Baham walked to start the fifth, Ginch came to the plate with a double and home run already on the sheet. The junior DH smashed a shot that caromed off the wall in deep center field and Ginch sprinted the 270 feet from home to third to pick up the perennially elusive triple, bringing him just a single away from the cycle. His RBI three-bagger was the first triple of his career in 77 games played. AJ Nicely scored Ginch on an RBI groundout, and then Austin Henry would add an RBI double to left center later in the frame as CNU opened an 8-3 lead. 

In the sixth inning, Ginch arrived at the plate with two on and nobody out. Needing just a single, he completed the cycle as he hammered a hard groundball up the middle right over the bag at second base. The single chased home both runners, giving Ginch a team-high 5 RBI on the day.  

Johnson capped his also impressive performance two batters later after Nicely walked to put base runners on for the junior outfielder. Johnson finished his day with another deep blast, this time a 3-run dinger to open up the game into a double-figure lead, 13-3. Keith Roberts also had an RBI double in the inning, as CNU continued to spray the outfield with extra-base hits. 

With both coaches opening up the benches, the Captains bullpen cruised through the final three innings unscathed. Logan Aylor, Jaret West, and Alex Biddison all tossed scoreless frames to finish out the victory.

The Captains finished with 17 hits in 39 at-bats, while drawing five walks. Five CNU players finished with multi-hit efforts, including the combined 7-for-7 out of Ginch and Johnson. 

Bailey Hall picked up the first loss of his season for the Royals, who also managed 12 hits in the game. Griffin Stanley led the way for Eastern Mennonite, going 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored. Frazier drove in a pair and tossed two scoreless innings in a start on the mound.

CNU will return to action this Saturday, hosting nationally-ranked Oswego State for a doubleheader at Captains Park. The game time has been adjusted, with first pitch of game one scheduled for Noon. Two nine-inning games will be played against the 18th-ranked Lakers, with live stats and video available at CNUsports.com/live.