NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport handed Virginia Wesleyan its first loss of the season Sunday, as the nationally-ranked programs split a doubleheader at Captains Park. CNU, ranked tenth in the country, won the opener in eight innings, 4-3, while the sixth-ranked Marlins came from behind to take the nightcap, 10-8.
The first game saw two freshmen grab the spotlight for the Captains. Second baseman
Grace Wild delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the eighth inning, while first-year pitcher
Aubrey Bates went the distance to pick up the victory. The CNU triumph snapped a season-opening 16-game winning streak for the Marlins.
Wild, who led off the bottom of the eighth, doubled down the rightfield line scoring pinch-runner
Morgan Wooddell, who started the extra inning placed at second base. The game-winning hit gave Bates the victory, improving to 5-0 to start her freshman season. Bates allowed three runs on six hits in eight innings of work and stranded seven Marlins on the base paths.
In the second game, the Captains couldn't hold on to a 5-1 lead, and saw the Marlins score nine of their ten runs over the last four frames. CNU stranded ten runners in the nightcap, and senior
Tara Heatwole, who entered the game in the fourth inning in relief of starter
Maiven McKnight, suffered the loss to fall to 3-3 on the season.
Senior centerfielder
Rachael Shiflett was three-for-five in game two and also had a hit in the opener. Fellow senior
Jenna Sprinkle drove in three runs in the second game, and also posted three hits in the twin bill.
Virginia Wesleyan's Hanna Hull pitched in both games and recorded a win and a loss. Her defeat in the opener came after starting and pitching the whole game, while her victory came in relief in the nightcap. She is now 8-1, and also hit a two-run home run to start the scoring in the first game.
Christopher Newport improved to 12-2 following the Sunday split on a sunny and cold day at Captains Park. Temperatures reached only the low 40's during the non-conference doubleheader. Virginia Wesleyan is now 17-1.
The Captains return to the field Tuesday for another non-conference doubleheader with Southern Vermont College. The first game will begin at 5:00 p.m. at Captains Park.
