Pair of defeats knock CNU from regional

No. 4 Shenandoah bounces back vs. Captains

Shenandoah ended Christopher Newport’s baseball season by twice beating the Captains on Sunday to win the NCAA Division III Winchester Regional.

The Hornets, ranked fourth in the coaches’ poll before the tournament, forced a decisive Game 7 with a 14-5 rout before 409 fans. That was No. 11 CNU’s first loss of the weekend.

Shenandoah (42-8) then won the decider 5-3 to advance to a round-of-16 Super Regional against Lynchburg, one of its Old Dominion Athletic Conference rivals.

It was quite a turnaround for the Hornets, who began the weekend with an eye-popping 22-9 loss to The College of New Jersey.

Shenandoah beat Immaculata and won a rematch with TCNJ to advance to Sunday at Kevin Anderson Field, which is named after the Hornets’ longtime coach.

His son Kooper was named the regional’s Most Outstanding

Player after going 2 for 3 and making a diving catch in center field in Game 7.

CNU’s Justin Bowers, Sam Benedict, pitcher Jack Braley and Alec Reilly made the all-tourney team.

In Game 7, Shenandoah senior starter Torrey Savoia gained his first victory of the season, holding CNU (33-11) to four hits and two runs in six innings.

Ryan Clawson hit a two-run double, Colby Martin was 3 for 4 with two runs and Gavin Horning also scored twice for Shenandoah. CNU’s Josh Reinhold was 2 for 4 with two runs, but Dylan Weber (8-3) gave up two runs and five hits in three innings for the loss.

In Game 6, Kooper Anderson was 3 for 5 with five RBIs and two runs, Martin was 4 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs, and Horning had two hits and three RBIs. For CNU, Benedict drove in two runs, and Scott Crosson, Bowers and Reilly each had two hits and an RBI.

Saturday night, CNU beat TCNJ 18-3 as Braley struck out eight. Bowers was 2 for 4 with three RBIs and three runs, and Benedict had four RBIs.