NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport ran its winning streak to nine straight games Wednesday as the Captains swept a pair of Capital Athletic Conference softball tilts from Mary Washington. CNU took the opener, 10-2, and the nightcap, 9-1, at Captains Park. Both games ended in the fifth inning due to the eight-run rule.

The Captains blistered the Eagles pitching for 19 runs on 24 hits for the day, and Christopher Newport has now scored 62 runs over the last eight wins, an average of almost eight runs per game.

Junior Leah Andrews and freshmen Tara Deck and Liz Andrews all cracked home runs for the Captains as CNU concluded its home regular-season schedule with a record of 13-3. Leah Andrews, CNU's leftfielder, went five-for-seven at the plate for the day and scored four times while also driving in a run with her solo home run in the nightcap. Freshman second baseman Grace Wild was four-for-eight and also contributed four runs scored and an RBI. Senior first baseman Jenna Sprinkle also registered four hits in six at bats on a cloudy and mild day on the CNU campus.

Freshman Liz Andrews got the scoring started in the opener with a three-run home run in the third inning, and ended up driving in six runs in the twin bill.  Christopher Newport used big innings in each game to pull away, scoring five runs in the third inning of the opener, and posting four in the fourth in the second game.

CNU was also solid in the pitching circle, as senior Maiven McKnight and freshman Aubrey Bates recorded victories. McKnight, who started the opener, ran her record to 9-0 by scattering six hits and allowing two runs over five frames. Bates got the victory in the nightcap, yielding just one unearned run on three hits in five innings of work. Her record is now 8-2 for the season.

Mary Washington fell to 19-15 overall with the losses, and the Eagles are now 4-4 in CAC action. Christopher Newport now holds a 45-8 lead in the all-time series with UMW.

CNU is now 23-7 overall and 8-0 atop the Capital Athletic Conference. In addition to riding a nine-game streak, Keith Parr's squad has also now won 12 of its last 13 games. The Captains have three CAC doubleheaders remaining in the regular season. CNU will travel to Salisbury, MD., on Saturday for a twin bill with the Sea Gulls. The first pitch is set for 1:30 p.m.