NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- The Christopher Newport softball team posted two dominant non-conference victories Sunday over Shenandoah University. The Captains, ranked second in the country this week, are 10-0 following 8-0 and 9-1 wins over the Hornets at Captains Park. Both games went just five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.
Keith Parr's squad has now scored 94 runs in ten games and has plated less than seven runs just once this year, a 1-0 victory over William Peace.
In the first game, the Captains pushed across single runs in the first two innings, then scored four in the third and two more in the fifth to close out the 8-0 triumph. Senior
Tori Clarke and junior
Jenna Sprinkle each clubbed solo home runs for CNU. It was the first of the season for Clarke and the second for Sprinkle. Five of the 11 hits for the Captains went for extra bases in the opener.
Senior lefthander
Hanah Marshall threw five shutout innings in Game 1 to improve to 4-0 on the season. Marshall allowed just three hits and struck out four while allowing no runs.
In the nightcap, Shenandoah's first batter of the game, Kimberly Brady, homered for the only run of the day for the Hornets. Junior
Tara Heatwole settled down and allowed just the one run on four hits while striking out four in CNU's 9-1 win. Heatwole is now 4-0 on the season.
The Captains answered with six runs in the bottom of the first and then plated three in the fourth for the 9-1 final tally.
Sophomore
Lia Batchelor had two hits, including a double, and drove in four runs for the Captains.
Jenna Sprinkle also drove in two runs in the second game.
The Captains are now batting .384 as a team this season, with two players over .400. Senior
Scoop Simon (.480) and sophomoe
Brittney Walters (.438) top the team in batting average. Simon also leads the squad in home runs (3) and RBIs (13).
CNU will now travel to Columbus, Georgia, for games in the NFCA Classic. The Captains are slated to play Fontbonne (12:00 p.m.) and Linfield (7:30 p.m.) on Friday.
