SALISBURY, Md. - Shenandoah University will have two chances to earn its first NCAA South Regional baseball title after downing fellow USA South Conference member Christopher Newport 8-4 Friday afternoon in the winner's bracket final.

Shenandoah (36-8) faces the winner of a 1 p.m. elimination game between CNU and Johns Hopkins Saturday afternoon at 5:00 Saturday. 

Because the Hornets are undefeated and the Blue Jays and Captains have one loss, SU will need to win just one of a possible two games against the survivor to claim the title. The 'if-game' is scheduled for Sunday.

The champion claims one of eight spots in next week's NCAA Division III World Series in Appleton, Wisc.

Shenandoah struck quickly in its third match-up of the season with the CNU (26-12-2), scoring two runs on three hits in the top of the first off of CNU starter Brandon Berry (5-2).

Scott Lambert reached with a one-out single through the left side and to second when Jesse Henry was hit by a pitch.

Greg Van Sickler plated the initial run with a single to right to score Lambert; the RBI was his 58^th on the year and moves him into second place on the all-time SU season RBI list.

Cory Nelson gave Hornets starter Brian Goddard a second run to work with by driving in Henry with a single to right.

In the second, the Hornets scored what proved to be the game-winning runs by pushing across four runs with four hits and a walk following two quick outs to start the frame. Sophomore Kevin Brashears got things started by crushing the team's first home run of the tournament to left center (his seventh of the season) before Lambert drew a walk.

Henry drove in Lambert with a triple to right center and trotted home on a Van Sickler single to right.

Van Sickler stole second to move into scoring position and came home when Scott Van Dusseldorp chased Berry with a double down the left-field line.

Reliever Kyle Baumann finally stopped the bleeding by striking out Jasen Eberz with a 3-2 fastball.

Christopher Newport got itself back into the game with a single run in the second and three unearned in the fourth, but senior reliever Gage Levac (3-3) came to the rescue.

Levac allowed just three hits over the final 5.2 innings to slam the door on the Captains and put his club into the championship contest.

The submariner struck out just one but did not walk a batter and allowed just one into scoring position the rest of the way.

Van Sickler and Nelson led the offense with two hits apiece.

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