NEWPORT NEWS, VA-The Hampden-Sydney baseball team started out its 2017 season with a win, downing the Captains of Christopher Newport University 7-5. The Tigers used a huge fifth inning to score seven runs. The Tigers kick off their season 1-0 while CNU drops to 1-3 overall.

Reliever Matthew Metheny (New Kent, VA/New Kent) earned the victory after pitching a scoreless inning, and Jayson Maitland (Colonial Heights, VA/Colonial Heights) picked up the save after pitching a scoreless ninth.

Freshman Chase Mayberry (Appomattox, VA/Appomattox) started on the bump for the Tigers, pitching four innings while allowing two runs on three hits and two walks. Impressively, he struck out seven.

Christopher Newport struck first offensively, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth, but Hampden-Sydney exploded with seven runs in the fifth. Senior Ryan Peevey (Wirtz, VA/Franklin) started out the scoring, crossing the plate on a Shane Arceo (Newport News, VA/Denbigh) RBI-single.

After Cody Smith (Bristol, VA/Virginia HS) batted in Mo Gothe (Chester, VA/Thomas Dale), freshman Andrew Kasiski (Chesapeake, VA/Indian River) gave the Tigers the lead with a two-RBI single that scored Brian Goodwyn (Chester, VA/Thomas Dale) and Tyler Blevins (Draper, VA/Pulaski).

Peevey added some insurance, scoring Kasiski and Jacob Fontana (Midlothian, VA/Clover Hill) on a two-RBI single.

The Captains added three more runs in the sixth, but scoreless innings from Michael Flanagan (Moseley, VA/Cosby), Charles Murrah (Athens, GA/Maclay School), and Maitland gave the Tigers the two run win.

On the day, the Tigers had seven hits to Christopher Newport's six. Blevins and Peevey each led the way with two hits, while Kasiski and Peevey each batted in two runs.

Hampden-Sydney returns to action and opens up its home season on Sunday, February 19 as the Tigers host Penn State Harrisburg in a double header. First pitch is slated for 12:00 PM.