Newport News, VA – The Misericordia University baseball team scored 14 consecutive runs to defeat Christopher Newport, 14-9, and take a 2-0 series lead in the NCAA Regional best-of-five series, Saturday afternoon.

Shane Hughes went 2-for-4 with a team-high three RBI and two runs scored while Kenny Jarema, Steve Weisensee, Brady Madden and Sean Boylan each drove home two runs. Jarema also reached base five times with four hits and a walk.

Tom Jacob earned the start for Misericordia, tossing 3.2 innings with four earned runs. Kyle Melahn made his second appearance of the afternoon, throwing 3.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts.

Christopher Newport put up four runs in the first inning to take an early 4-0 lead. Trey Hicks drove home the first two runners with a single up the middle while Ryan Grubbs brought in two more with a double to left-center field.

The Cougars responded with one run in the bottom half of the frame. Jarema led off the inning with a single to left-center field to extend his on-base streak to 33 games.

Misericordia then loaded the bases on a Weisensee walk and a Madden single with one out. Hughes was then hit in the helmet with a 0-2 pitch to plate the squad's first run, 4-1.

Misericordia added two more in the second inning, pulling within one run. Santo Guinta got the offense started with a leadoff single to third base, advancing to second on an errant throw. Guinta then scored on a Boylan single down the left field line in the team's following plate appearance.

With runners on second and third, Weisensee brought home Boylan with a sacrifice bunt to the third base side, 4-3.

The Cougars exploded for seven runs on seven hits in the third inning. Misericordia plated their first two runners on a Billy Kerwien single and a Guinta hit by pitch. After Boylan moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, Jarema gave the Cougars the lead with a two-run double to right-center field, 5-4.

Following a Parker Abate sacrifice bunt, Weisensee plated Jarema with a single to center field. The senior outfielder then stole second base and scored on a Madden single down the right field line, 7-4.

In the Cougars' following at bat, Holzapfel smacked a ground-rule double to right field to put two runners in scoring position. Hughes then brought home both runners with a single up the middle and later scored on a Kerwien double to right-center field, 10-4.

Melahn entered the game in the fourth inning with a runner on third and two outs. He allowed his first batter to reach base, but retired the following hitter on a lineout to end the inning unscathed. The All-MAC Freedom first-team selection then settled in to throw a scoreless fifth, sixth and seventh inning.

Misericordia added four more unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, Jarema scored the first run on a fielding error while Madden drove home two more with a single through the left side. Boylan then plated one run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh, 14-4.

The Captains put up five runs in the ninth inning with an RBI single and grandslam, but couldn't complete the comeback.

Misericordia improves to 34-11 overall while #1 Christopher Newport falls to 35-9 on the season. The Cougars will look to wrap up their best-of-five series with a victory tomorrow. Game three is scheduled for a noon start time while game four will follow, if necessary.