NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Sophomore Hunter Cole (Norfolk, Va./Granby) went 4 for 6 with a double, a homer, three runs and three RBI as the Randolph-Macon baseball team defeated Christopher Newport 9-5 on Thursday afternoon.

The Basics

Score: Randolph-Macon 9, Christopher Newport 5

Venue: Captain Park

Records: R-MC 9-2, CNU 10-5

How It Happened:

• It didn't take long for the Yellow Jackets to get on the scoreboard. Senior Spencer Pietruszynski (Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown) drew a leadoff walk and Cole followed with a homer to right, his team-leading fourth of the season, to give R-MC a 2-0 lead.
• The Captains responded with three in the bottom of the first. R-MC would tie the game in the fourth as freshman Lincoln Lubsen (Williamsburg, Va./Walsingham Academy) smacked his first collegiate homer.
• The Yellow Jackets would take the lead for good in the fifth. Pietruszynski again coaxed a leadoff walk, stole second and came home on a double by Cole to make it 4-3. Cole stole third and scored on a double by sophomore Myles Webb (Norfolk, Va./Granby) upping the score to 5-3. After Webb stole third, Webb scored when freshman Sam Slevin (Virginia Beach, Va./Frank Cox) reached on an error to push the lead to 6-3.
• R-MC added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth. Cole had a one-out single and went to third on a double by junior Ethan Iannuzzi (Chesterfield, Va./Cosby). A walk to Webb loaded the bases before junior Carter Johnson (Southampton, Va./Southampton) singled to left to plate Cole and Iannuzzi to extend the advantage to 8-3.
• After CNU got one back in the seventh, the Yellow answered in the eighth. Iannuzzi had a leadoff double, stole third and scored on a base hit by Webb to make it 9-4. The Captains tallied one more run in the bottom of the eighth, making the final 9-5.

By The Numbers

• Cole went 4 for 6 with a double, a homer, three runs and three RBI.
• Webb had two hits, including a double, one run and two RBI.
• Iannuzzi doubled twice and scored a pair.
• Pietruszynski drew three walks and scored twice.
• Senior Jacob Smither (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) earned the win in relief, going 3.0 innings with three hits, one run, three walks and two strikeouts to raise his record to 3-0.
• Sophomore Wyatt Stanley (Beaverdam, Va./Patrick Henry) recorded the final five outs with one hit, one walk and one punchout to record his third save.

Up Next

R-MC will begin ODAC this weekend at Washington and Lee. The teams were originally scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday, but due to the forecast of inclement weather, a doubleheader will be played on Sunday, March 13 at 1 p.m.