NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- Christopher Newport and Salisbury, both ranked in the Top 10 in the nation, split a Capital Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday at Captains Park. The Sea Gulls, ranked ninth, won the opener by a 4-2 margin, before the third-ranked Captains took the nightcap, 5-3. The games marked the opening of the CAC season.

The Captains used the long ball to bounce back in game two. CNU plated single runs in five straight innings, three coming on solo home runs, to post the 5-3 victory. Sophomore Leah Andrews smacked her third home run of the season in the third inning to give CNU a 2-1 lead. After the Sea Gulls jumped ahead 3-2, sophomore Lia Batchelor clubbed her first home run as a Captain to tie the game 3-3 after four. Junior Rachael Shiflett delivered a sacrifice fly in the fifth, and sophomore Rachael Payne provided an insurance run with her second home run of the season to close out the scoring in the sixth.

Junior Maiven McKnight earned the win in game two, entering in relief of starter Tara Heatwole, and is now 4-0 on the season. McKnight threw the final three and two-thirds innings and retired 12 of 13 batters she faced, allowing no runs on just one hit to the Gulls.

In the opener, senior Hanah Marshall suffered her first loss of the season as Salisbury recorded a 4-2 triumph. Marshall is now 6-1 and gave up just two earned runs on six hits while pitching all seven frames.

Salisbury scored two unearned runs in the fifth inning that proved to be the difference in the game.

CNU is now 17-2 on the season, and 9-1 at Captains Park.

Salisbury is 17-4 following the split.

The schools have now played 70 games in the all-time series which dates back to 1989, with CNU holding a 35-33 lead with two ties.

The games began a busy home stretch for the Captains, who will play three doubleheaders in five days at Captains Park. Christopher Newport will take on Eastern Mennonite on Monday in a non-conference twin bill. The opener is set to begin at 3:00 p.m.