Billy Steel - 1st Career HR

Baseball

CNU Powers Past Bridgewater at Home, 14-4

Captains hit for cycle in the second inning

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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Christopher Newport improved to 5-1 early this season with another offensive showcase at Captains Park as CNU drubbed Bridgewater College (3-2), 14-4. CNU has scored 10 or more runs in four of their first six games and had eight extra-base hits in today's game, led by Steven Lindemuth with a pair of doubles.

Junior starter Sean Chitsaz earned his second win of the season with another quality start. He pitched seven innings and gave up just two earned runs, striking out three with eight hits allowed.

The Captains allowed the first run in the game, as Chitsaz walked Jonathan Mason, who was doubled home in the second inning by Alex Nuttycombe. CNU would answer immediately though, getting four runs of support for Chitsaz in the bottom half of the inning.

In the bottom of the second, the Captains would hit for the cycle as a team in the first five batters. After a lead-off single from Ben Lenda, Lindemuth followed with his first double. Second baseman Matt Shoemaker then stepped in and smacked a two-run triple to the right-centerfield gap. After a strikeout, freshman Billy Steel would hit his first collegiate home run to cap the cycle for CNU, with a two-run blast to left field.

The Captains wouldn't relinquish the lead and added one run in the fifth and two in the sixth before another big inning in the bottom of the seventh. CNU would add six runs in the 7th, taking advantage of the fielding woes of Bridgewater. The Eagles committed two errors in the inning to extend the frame and allow Connor Madden to step in and homer to deep left. His home run scored three and was his second of the season, giving him 10 RBI on the year.

Sophomore Ryan Fleischmann came on for an inning of relief in the eighth and freshman Nick Santalucia closed the door with a 1-2-3 ninth, including two K's.

Steel, Shoemaker and Madden each had three RBI to lead the offense for CNU. Bridgewater recorded 11 strikeouts in the game, but couldn't string anything together offensively. Third baseman Jay Thompson had a pair of home runs and went 3-for-4 with three RBI, but only one other Eagle managed more than one hit in the game.

CNU will have one more home game before hitting the road for seven straight, as the Captains play host to Virginia Wesleyan on Tuesday, February 22 at 2:00 pm.
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