NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Susquehanna University baseball team lost an early four-run lead in their season-opener Saturday afternoon in Newport News, Va., due to three home runs by the No. 25 Christopher Newport University Captains in the fifth and eighth innings. Susquehanna (0-1) succumbed to an 8-7 season-opening loss to CNU (4-3) as the Captains' third homer broke a 7-7 draw in the eighth. The River Hawks' season-opener had been postponed from Friday due to anticipated winter weather.
 
Susquehanna 7, Christopher Newport 8
 
How It Happened

• The River Hawks trailed Christopher Newport, 2-0, after the third inning following a two-run single by Trey Hicks, the Captains' No. 3 hitter.
• The fourth inning yielded six runs for Susquehanna as senior Alex Burman (Wallingford, Pa./Episcopal) scored on an RBI walk by senior Craig Roumes (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury); senior Justin Miller (Rockaway, N.J./Seton Hall) and sophomore Adam Schreck (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) both scored on a CNU error; Roumes came home on an RBI single by junior catcher Peter Yarem (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood); and sophomore Evan Knapp (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) and Yarem scored on a two-RBI double by junior Chris Corrado (Tuckahoe, N.Y./Tuckahoe), putting the River Hawks four runs ahead of CNU, 6-2.
• The score remained the same until the bottom of the fifth when the Captains responded with a grand slam by Eric O'Brien, the No. 5 hitter, followed by a solo home run by Michael Martorano, giving Christopher Newport the 7-6 lead.
• Despite bases loaded at the top of the sixth, Susquehanna could not get any runs across the plate as Jack Rosenberg got out of the jam with a strikeout.
• Corrado completed a run in the eighth to even the score at 7-7 after singling to shortstop, stealing second, advancing to third on a single by senior Anthony Dombrowski (Pompton Plains, N.J./Don Bosco) and coming home on Burman single to centerfield.
• Evan Baer, the No. 7 hitter, notched the go-ahead run with a lead-off home run to left field in the Captains' half of the eighth.
• Brian Owens shutdown SU in the ninth as Owens sat down the River Hawks in order, including two strikeouts, for the save.

 
Inside the Box Score

• Both teams were almost equal in hits, with Susquehanna at 11 and the Captains at 12.
• CNU hit three home runs for four extra-base hits, stole two bases, and made two errors while the River Hawks connected on three doubles, stole a base, and committed no errors.

 
Top Performers

• Corrado went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead SU while Burman and Schreck each had a pair of hits.
• Senior Tyson Thrush (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) got the opening day start and lasted 4.1 innings with six strikeouts and two walks, giving up seven runs on 10 hits.
• Junior Will Carey (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) picked up the loss on the mound with just 0.2 innings of work, allowing the go-ahead run in the eighth. Carey (0-1) faced six batters in relief, walking two and striking out one.
• Hicks and Conner Clark paced the Captains in their second straight win with three hits each.

 
Up Next for the River Hawks

• Feb. 23 at No. 34 Shenandoah (5-0) – Winchester, Va. / Bridgeforth Field – 2:00 p.m.

 
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