The University of Lynchburg baseball squad clinched its fourth straight NCAA Division III regional championship on Tuesday, outscoring Christopher Newport 11-4 in a decisive victory that propelled the Hornets into the Super Regional round.
From the opening inning, the Captains struck first when Gus Croll delivered an RBI single, but the Hornets answered in the bottom half as Pokorak singled home Jones to knot the game.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the fourth inning when Quinn Madden launched a three-run double to left field, turning a tight contest into a commanding lead.
Kyle Flora added a two-run triple that extended the advantage, and Ryder Warren capped the rally with an RBI triple of his own, pushing the score to double digits.
Christopher Newport briefly reclaimed the lead in the third inning when Aaron Maxie’s RBI single put them ahead, only for Lynchburg to tie the game again in the fourth on Flora’s RBI single.
The Hornets surged ahead in the fifth when Maxie’s two-run double gave the Captains a 4-2 edge, but Lynchburg responded with RBI hits from Madden and Joe Munitz to even the score entering the seventh.
Madden finished the game with three hits, including two doubles, and four RBIs, while Flora contributed three hits and three RBIs, and Warren delivered a pinch-hit RBI triple that sealed the victory.
Reliever Trent Judd earned the win, tossing four scoreless innings, while starter Nick Mattfield surrendered four runs over five frames, underscoring the team’s depth.
The Hornets’ dominance was evident throughout the regional tournament, where they outscored opponents 38-6, a testament to their consistent hitting and pitching.
Looking ahead, Lynchburg will meet East Texas Baptist University in the Super Regionals scheduled for May 23-24, a matchup that promises another chapter in the program’s storied postseason run.