NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- There always seems to be a lot riding when the Captains of Christopher Newport battle the Sea Gulls of Salisbury. Saturday in Salisbury, MD., the two softball squads square off in a doubleheader that has tremendous playoff ramifications.

The Captains are riding a six game winning streak and are 17-6 overall and 6-0 in the Capital Athletic Conference. While CNU is ranked 21st in the nation, Salisbury is the second-ranked team in the country, and the Gulls are in the midst of a 17-game winning streak. Salisbury is 20-1 overall and 8-0 atop the CAC, and the Gulls are 13-0 at home this season.

The doubleheader figures to be the determining factor in where the CAC post-season tournament will be waged. Last year, the teams split their regular-season twin bill and a coin flip went CNU's way to place the tourney at Captains Park. Christopher Newport captured the tournament in dramatic fashion, defeating the Gulls in the title game on a walk-off home run from Taylor Dillow, to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Salisbury eventually ousted the Captains from the tournament by winning in the Super Regional round in Salisbury.

Both squads have gone deep often this year. Salisbury has hit 19 home runs in 21 games, led by Kim Dorsey's six. The Captains have cracked 18 home runs in 23 games, led by Sabrina Hill and Hannah Cook with four each.

CNU will be facing one of the top pitchers in the nation in senior Rachel Johnson, who is 13-1 with an ERA of 0.70. Johnson threw a perfect game on Wednesday in a Salisbury win over Stevenson, the sixth perfect game of her illustrious career.

The Captains have been blistering the ball of late, and have scored 77 runs in their six CAC victories, an average of almost 13 runs per game.

The Captains are coming off a doubleheader sweep on Wednesday over Mary Washington. CNU won by scores of 10-2 and 9-1, with both games ending after five innings due to the eight-run rule. Salisbury swept Stevenson at home on Wednesday in non-conference play.

The matchup also features two of the most successful coaches in the nation. Salisbury's Margie Knight won her 700th career game on Wednesday, and is in her 19th season leading the Sea Gulls. CNU's Keith Parr is in his 12th season, and is just eight wins shy of 400 for his career.

Saturday's action is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. Live stats will be available at CNUsports.com/live.