NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- The Christopher Newport University softball team ended the regular season with a flourish Saturday afternoon, sweeping a Senior Day doubleheader at Captains Park from Wesley College. The Captains, ranked ninth in the nation, won the opener, 8-1, and then took the nightcap by a 10-2 score in a game shortened to five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.

Fittingly, senior Scoop Simon provided most of the fireworks for the Captains. The senior outfielder, who leads CNU in 11 offensive categories, blasted two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs on the day as the Captains ended the regular season riding a five-game winning streak.

CNU improved its record to 32-5 overall and 12-2 in the Capital Athletic Conference. The Captains are presently a game behind first-place Salisbury in the CAC standings, and the Sea Gulls will conclude their season on Sunday with a twin bill at Frostburg State.

The Captains jumped to an early lead in the opener thanks to two first-inning runs on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Leah Andrews and an RBI single off the bat of sophomore Brittney Walters. The Wolverines cut the lead to 2-1 with a run in the top of the sixth inning, but the Captains opened things up with two long balls in the bottom of the sixth. Simon smacked a grand slam, her seventh home run of the season, to make the score 6-1. Sophomore Rachael Payne later clubbed a two-run shot, her sixth of the season, to cap the six-run inning and send the Captains to the 8-1 triumph.

In game two, Wesley plated two runs in the top of the first inning to grab the early advantage, but the Captains bounced back immediately. Simon tied the game with her second home run of the day, and eighth of the season, with a two-run shot in the bottom of the first. CNU went on to score four more in the first thanks to two-run singles from seniors Hannah Cook and Tori Clarke to give the Captains a 6-2 lead. Clarke would later drive in two more with a third-inning double, and junior Jenna Sprinkle also knocked in two with a fourth-inning single to propel CNU to the 10-2 victory.
   
Junior pitchers Tara Heatwole and Maiven McKnight earned the victories for the Captains. Heatwole allowed just one run on five hits in the opener, and is now 14-3 on the season. McKnight pitched four innings in the nightcap, giving up just two first-inning runs on five hits. McKnight is now 9-1. Senior lefthander Hanah Marshall, who has been recovering from a shoulder injury, came in to close out Senior Day by pitching a scoreless fifth inning in the second game.

Wesley now has a record of 12-16 overall and ends up 5-9 in the CAC. The Wolverines will not qualify to advance to the CAC Tournament, as only five of the eight league members will take part in the three-day tournament next week.

Now that the regular season is complete, Keith Parr's squad will look forward to the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament, which will be played beginning next Thursday through Saturday at the home site of the top-seeded school. For the Captains to capture the CAC title outright and host their third straight CAC Tournament, Frostburg State would have to beat Salisbury in both games on Sunday. If the Sea Gulls and Bobcats split, then the Captains and Salisbury would end the year in a tie and due to Salisbury's lead in the run-differential tiebreaker, the Sea Gulls would still host. If Salisbury wins both games Sunday, the Sea Gulls will claim the league title outright and host next week.

The Captains have recorded at least 30 victories in each of the last ten seasons, and are looking for their tenth straight NCAA berth.

Prior to the start of the doubleheader Saturday, seven CNU student-athletes were honored during Senior Day ceremonies at Captains Park. Tori Clarke, Hannah Cook, Meagan Jones, Hanah Marshall, and Scoop Simon were joined by former Captains Katelyn O'Campo and Brooke Sarazin, who have both worked with the team this year as managers after having their playing careers cut short by injury.