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BURLINGTON, N.C. — Fourth-seeded Christopher Newport University eliminated regular-season champion and top seed N.C. Wesleyan College from the USA South Conference Tournament with a 13-7 victory on Friday at Burlington Athletic Stadium.
Christopher Newport (20-12) advances to play No. 3 seed Shenandoah University at 12 p.m. in a battle of the only two undefeated teams left in the tournament.
The Captains led 9-0 through three and a half innings. Five of those runs came in the top of the fourth. Drue Vernon and Parker Neal each had RBI triples, and Steven Lindemuth had a run-scoring double down the right field line.
N.C. Wesleyan (17-19) rebounded from the tough start to score two runs in the fourth and fifth innings to cut CNU's lead to 9-4. Zach Moore plated the two runs in the fourth, and the Battling Bishops got an RBI double by Daniel Moore the following inning.
Christopher Newport helped put the game away with four more runs in the seventh inning. Ben Lenda led off with a solo homer and Connor Madden blasted a two-run shot moments later.Luke Saunders added an RBI double.
N.C. Wesleyan rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth but fell short. The Bishops, who went 9-3 against USA South opponents during the regular season, bowed out of the double-elimination tournament after just two games.
Sean Chitsaz (6-2) struck out eight in five innings for the Captains. Max Knowles (3-4) took the loss for the Bishops.
