BURLINGTON, N.C. – No. 9/14 Shenandoah University will have two opportunities to win its first-ever USA South baseball Tournament championship after downing Christopher Newport 19-5 Saturday afternoon in the third round of the tournament.

Shenandoah (32-6) is the final remaining undefeated team in the tourney and will face CNU (21-13) on Sunday at noon in the championship game.

The Captains will have to beat SU twice to claim the title; should the Hornets lose that first game, the 'if necessary' game is scheduled for 4:00.

Saturday's win over CNU came in seven innings as the contest was halted due to the USA South 12-run rule.

Trailing 4-0 after Christopher Newport roughed up SU starter Vince Claudio for four runs on five hits in the first, Shenandoah began its climb back with single runs in the first and second before breaking things open by pushing across a six-spot in the fourth.

The Hornets sent 10 men to the plate in the fourth, getting six hits and chasing Captains starter Ian Lenda in the process.

Lenda (1-3) allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits in 3 2/3.

Shenandoah's 1-2-3 hitters, Kevin Brashears, Jon Holcomb and Jesse Henry, all had RBI hits with Brashears delivering the go-ahead run on a single to left.

Christopher Newport answered with a single run in the fifth, but SU plated three in the bottom half of the frame before ending things with an eight-run sixth.

Brashears finished his day 3 for 4 with four RBI – he had a three-run HR in the fifth. For the second straight game, all nine Shenandoah starters had at least one hit and eight of the nine registered at least one run batted in.

Brashears' blast, his 12^th of the year, was one of three for the victors. Sophomore Cory Nelson homered in the second and sixth.

Sophomore Bryce Sears (2-2), who came on in relief of Claudio, pitched the final 6.0 innings to earn the win. He gave up one run on five hits and had two strikeouts.

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