On Thursday afternoon, a vicious whirlwind tore across Randolph-Macon’s Hugh Stephens Field midway through the ninth inning of their game against Christopher Newport.  The micro-twister left the visiting Captains hesitant to exit their dugout until it moved on. Ironically, it was a CNU offensive whirlwind that did more damage, notching up 20 hits in a 15-6 win over the host Yellow Jackets.

  CNU (30-4) came into the contest ranked #2 in the nation by D-3baseball.com but looking to bounce from a 5-4 Wednesday loss at Bridgewater College. At the same time, R-MC (14-15) was searching for balance and a chance to get a win over a top ranked team following a narrow 3-1 loss to #1 Shenandoah the week before. The Captains achieved their goal. The Yellow Jackets did not.

  “They showed a lot of character today, they bounced back,” said CNU head coach John Harvell.

  Harvell recorded his 300th career victory in his 11 seasons at CNU. Already the winningest coach in school history, Harvell’s career mark of 300-153-2 (.662) puts him among the top 30 in the nation in winning percentage.

  “You never know how you’re team’s going to react mentally and I was just glad to get to another game right away so we could get it out of our minds, out of our conscience, so I was really proud of the way they bounced back and continued to swing the bats like we had at the beginning of the year.”

  The game marked a home visit by former Lee-Davis standout Billy Steel, who as a freshman for the Captains has taken on a starting role at shortstop and been key in CNU’s success this season. “I had to work pretty hard for it but I’m taking everything I can get,” he said.

  Harvell couldn’t be more pleased with what he’s seen out of the first year player. “A lot of people look at that position out there and they expect big things from him,” he said. “And him coming in as a freshman he’s really stepped up and he’s really given us more than we expected. He’s really been one of the main reasons why we’re where we are as far as the league goes.”

  For Steel, the return to Hanover County was a welcome homecoming. “I loved it,” he said. “Seeing Jordan (Walton) out there. Mr. (Norman) Bowles from my Legion team came out. All my family and friends, it was sweet. I loved it.”

  While the Captains bats were hot, neither pitching staff showed their stuff early.

  CNU exploded for four runs in the top of the first, running through their order against R-MC pitcher Tyler Kane (Hanover). With one out, Shannon Mark doubled to right and Luke Saunders was walked. A double to center by Ben Lenda drove the pair home.

  With two out, Matt Shoemaker (4-for-5, 4 RBI) doubled to left to bring in Lenda then came home on a single up the middle from Christopher McDougal.
  CNU twice advanced runners on pitches in the dirt.

  But R-MC found an answer in the bottom of the first. Brian Jordan, (3-for-4) singled to right and Jeb Weymouth (Hanover) was walked. With one out, a gapper from Jordan Walton (Lee-Davis) loaded the bags. 

  Jordan scored on a sacrifice to center from Greg Mitro. Next up, Jay Litcher grounded a shot to CNU’s Luke Saunders at third but the throw to first was high allowing Weymouth and Walton to score, trimming the Captains’ lead to 4-3.

  Though the Captains got off to a quick start, Jordan felt R-MC was not discouraged. “We knew we had nine at bats for us,” he said. “They put up four, we could put up four more, put up three, a one run ball game with eight at-bats left it’s easy to handle.”

  CNU quickly loaded the bases in the top of the second on a walk of Drue Vernon, a single from Mark, and Lenda taking a pitch in the leg, which signaled the end of Kane’s day on the mound.

  Kevin Soltis came to the mound in relief to get the second out but Shoemaker’s single up the middle plated Vernon and Mark for a 6-3 lead.

  After holding CNU without a score in the top of the third, R-MC found an answer in the bottom of the inning. Weymouth (2-for-4, 1 run) led off with a single to center and Mitro did the same. A double into the left corner by Lichter plated Weymouth then he and Mitro both scored on a double from Cory Jackson (Patrick Henry) to tie the game 6-6.

  “They were taking advantage of our mistakes when we were pitching and we were doing the same with them,” Harvell said.

  The Jackets looked to be in good shape by taking out two of the first three CNU batters in the top of the fourth. But then the wheels fell off.
  With Saunders at second, Steven Lindemuth sent a shot up the middle to plate his teammate.

  Next up, Shoemaker lofted a shot into short center that had Weymouth running in and R-MC second baseman Mitro running out to make the catch. The ball fell between the two. McDougal’s shot to third was misplayed by Andrew Cheatham allowing Lindemuth to score.

  Next Steel split the gap to drive in Shoemaker for a 9-6 lead. A double into the left corner by Connor Madden plated McDougal and Steel for a demoralizing 11-6 lead.

  “I think that inning where they put up five after we scored three kind of sucked the wind out of everybody,” Jordan said. “That was the difference in the game. We couldn’t get out of the inning and we couldn’t get back in the game after that it seemed like. It’s kind of tough when you score some runs and they come back and almost double what you put up.”

  R-MC head coach Ray Hedrick was not pleased with the way his team played in the jam. “A couple of plays there should have been made and we should have been out of that inning,” he said. “Making it very difficult on our pitchers when the defense doesn’t do their part or really sell out to get that out.”

  To add to the Jackets’ problems, CNU brought Jacob Vaughn to the mound and he shut down their offense.

  “Once we got Jake in there, throwing more strikes, working ahead of batters, that helped out a lot,” Steel said.

  R-MC managed hits but did not score over the remainder of the game meanwhile CNU tacked on three more in the top of the sixth and capped the scoring with a solo homer from Shoemaker in the top of the seventh.

  Hedrick felt his Jackets could have done better at the plate. “I know it’s a little bit challenging when you play from behind but I tell our guys all the time, you control what you can control and we can control our at bats,” he said. “Regardless of what the scoreboard says or regardless of the situation in the game, you control your at bat.”

  Harvell felt the previous day’s lost may have played in his team’s favor. “I think it really woke them up and knowing that people are going to come at us and we’ve got a big bullseye on our back and it doesn’t matter how they’re playing and we can make their season by them beating us. We’ve just got to stand, match their intensity every time out.”

  Jordan pointed out that R-MC’s goals have not changed despite the loss. “Regardless of what our record is we still want to win the ODAC,” he said. “It’s been an up and down year, try to finish on a high.”

  Former Atlee standout, freshman Paul Keyes saw late action for the Captains reaching on a walk.

CNU….......... 420 503 100 - 15 20 1
R-MC…......... 303 000 000 -  6 10 2
E - SAUNDERS, L.; Peter Culver; J. Bierlein. DP - Captains 1. LOB - Captains 11; RMC
6. 2B - MARK, S.; LENDA, B.; MADDEN, C.; Greg Mitro; Jay Lichter; Cory Jackson. HR -
SHOEMAKER, M. HBP - SAUNDERS, L.; LENDA, B.; KEYS, P.; Jeb Weymouth. SF - Greg Mitro. CS - MADDEN, C.