Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- In a conference-opening doubleheader Saturday with the top team in the nation, the Captains of Christopher Newport came away with a split and knocked Salisbury from the ranks of the unbeaten in the process. After the Sea Gulls handled the Captains in the opener, 11-2 in six innings, CNU bounced back to take the nightcap at Captains Park, 2-0.

The league games on a sunny and breezy Saturday afternoon marked the first ever for CNU as members of the Capital Athletic Conference. Christopher Newport, ranked 18th in the nation this week, is now 17-5 overall and 1-1 in the CAC. Salisbury, who moved into the top spot in the country this week, falls to 15-1 overall and also 1-1 in the Capital.

The day began with Salisbury opening an 8-0 lead on the Captains over the first four innings of the first game. CNU finally got to Sea Gulls starter Rachel Johnson in the fifth inning, plating the first two runs scored on Johnson all season. Sophomore catcher Kelsey Lewis delivered a run-scoring single and the Captains added another run on a Johnson wild pitch. Salisbury answered with three more runs in the top of the sixth inning to win, 11-2, in a game shortened to six innings due to the eight-run rule.

Johnson picked up her eighth win of the season, and struck out 13 CNU batters in six innings of work. Christopher Newport starter Krista Lewis took the loss to fall to 10-2 this year. The defeat snapped a 16-game home winning streak for the Captains dating back to last season.

In the nightcap, the Captains called on freshman Makayla Jenkins to start for the first time in her career, and Jenkins delivered a gem. In just her fifth appearance, Jenkins threw a complete-game shutout as the Captains posted a 2-0 triumph. Jenkins, a product of Gloucester, struck out six and allowed just three hits to post the first win of her CNU career.

The Captains broke open the pitcher's duel with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Seniors Taylor Dillow and Kristina McLaughlin delivered run-scoring hits for CNU and handed Salisbury starter Kathryn Larson her first defeat of the year. Larson had won her first seven decisions of 2014, and allowed one run on nine hits. Johnson entered the game in the fifth inning for SU and gave up a run on two hits in relief.

Christopher Newport hits the road next weekend for Capital Athletic Conference doubleheaders in Pennsylvania. The Captains will play at York College on Saturday and Penn State Harrisburg on Sunday.