NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Another spectacular start by sophomore right-hander Brandon Cassedy and the first career save for fifth-year star Dylan Weber highlighted an impressive pitching performance by the 18th-ranked Captains on Friday afternoon as Christopher Newport baseball downed Marymount, 9-3. Dodging sporadic spells of rain, the two teams managed to play a full nine at Captains Park as CNU improved to 10-5 on the season. 

Cassedy, who was making his fifth start of the season and was named the NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week just over a week prior, continued his sensational start to his second season with another standout performance. Ten of the first eleven outs recorded by the Manassas, Va. native came by way of the strikeout as he cruised through the Saints lineup. Twice he punched out four in a row and despite a mounting pitch count, Cassedy stayed on top of his game as he retired seven in a row and 11 of the last 12 batters he faced. 

The sophomore starter allowed just two unearned runs on two hits over 6.0 innings pitched while striking out 11. He left the game in position for the win and improved to 4-0 on the season when the CNU offense held off Marymount until breaking open a 6-2 lead after his final inning. 

With Cassedy raining down the strikeouts, the Captains offense went to bat for Cassedy with two runs in the first, one in the fourth, and three more in the bottom of the sixth. 

In the first inning, Josh Reinhold walked to reach base in his 57th consecutive game. After Misericordia fifth year Garrett McIlhenney failed to reach base in his last game, ending an impressive 87-game streak, Reinhold became the active leader in Division III with his program-record run to start his career. 

With the sophomore shortstop on second after a wild pitch, Zach Dzarnowski hammered a double to deep center field that would one-hop the wall and leave the yard for a ground-rule double. Reinhold trotted home and cut the Marymount lead in half, 2-1. Then, after another wild pitch moved Dzarnowski up to third, it was Lincoln Lubsen delivering a sacrifice fly to right field to plate the game-tying run. 

In the bottom of the fourth, CNU took the lead for good when Dzarnowski raced home on another wild pitch. He started the inning with a walk and Lubsen singled; the two moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Doc Daniels. 

After getting to the Marymount bullpen, Reinhold started things off again in the bottom of the sixth with another free pass. Three batters later, Daniels singled through the left side to chase him home and double the lead, 4-2. After a stolen base and a walk, Jake Benedict pinch hit for the Captains, making his first plate appearance in nearly three weeks. The sophomore outfielder took advantage of the chance with a two-run single on a screamer to center field. 

The Saints scored once in the top of the seventh to keep the game close at 6-3, but the Captains called on Weber with the tying run on deck and one out in the inning. Weber promptly struck out two of the first three batters to escape the jam. In the eighth, a pair of runners reached against Weber but the veteran lefty stranded both with a groundball and his third strikeout in five outs. 

CNU added some breathing room in the bottom of the eighth when Daniels led off with a double to left field. Benedict added another RBI base hit with a single into the right field corner for the first of three insurance runs in the inning. After Aaron Maxie singled through the right side, Scott Crosson delivered a fateful blow with a double over the head of the left fielder to extend the lead to six, 9-3. 

Weber came back out in the ninth and, after a leadoff walk, the veteran showed no signs of weakness in unfamiliar role, earning his first career save with three straight groundballs to close out the game. He was making just the third relief appearance of his career, and first since his freshman season in 2020. The fifth-year senior has appeared in 49 career games with 36 starts and is one of the all-time winningest starters for CNU but picked up his first save on Friday with 2.2 innings of no-hit relief, striking out three. 

Benedict and Daniels led the way offensively with a pair of hits each while Benedict drove in three. Eight players registered at least one hit in the game for CNU. 

Christopher Newport will return to action next on Tuesday, March 19 against these very same Marymount Saints (11-3) in a return trip to Northern Virginia. Game time against Marymount is set for 3:00 p.m.