NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- For the second straight season since joining the league, Christopher Newport University will host the Capital Athletic Conference softball tournament. The Captains captured the conference regular-season crown on Sunday by sweeping a doubleheader from Penn State Harrisburg, 6-0 and 6-2. Keith Parr's squad concluded the regular season with a 24-7 overall record and a 13-1 mark in the CAC.

CNU and four other schools (Salisbury, York, Frostburg State and Mary Washington) will battle for the tournament championship beginning Thursday morning at 10:00 a.m. at Captains Park.

Junior Scoop Simon led the Captains to the opening-game victory, knocking in five of the team's six runs. Simon ended up with four hits for the day, two in each game. The Captains scored 12 runs on 20 hits on a sunny and breezy day at Captains Park.

CNU plated four runs in the second inning of the opener, three coming home on Simon's bases-loaded double. The Captains added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to complete the 6-0 verdict.

In the pitching circle, junior Hanah Marshall threw a complete-game shutout in the opener, allowing just two hits, striking out four, and facing just 22 batters, one more than the minimum. Marshall finished the regular season with a record of 13-2.

In the nightcap, the Lions jumped to a two-run lead thanks to a first inning home run, only to see the Captains score the next six. CNU tallied four in the bottom of the first, with three coming home on a bases-loaded double from freshman shortstop Brittney Walters. The Captains later added two more runs in the third inning for the 6-2 final.

In game two, junior Krista Lewis went the distance to earn the victory. Lewis allowed just the two opening-inning runs on the home run and scattered four hits to improve to 11-5. Lewis retired the last 11 batters she faced to give the Captains the win and conference title.

The Captains wound up winning the regular-season title by two games over Salisbury, who finished 11-3 in CAC play. The Sea Gulls lost one of two games Sunday to Frostburg State. Last season, CNU hosted the tournament thanks to a coin flip victory over Salisbury after the squads finished the regular season in a tie. The Captains then went on to capture the CAC Tournament in thrilling fashion over the Sea Gulls to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Games on Thursday are scheduled to be played at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. at Captains Park in the double-elimination tournament.

Sunday's wins for CNU give Head Coach Keith Parr 399 victories in his coaching career. He and the Captains will look for the 400th as they start their play in the post season.