SALISBURY, Md. - Christopher Newport and Salisbury have a habit of splitting softball doubleheaders. As a matter of fact, the teams had split 72 games down the middle in the all-time series of the schools heading into Saturday's Capital Athletic Conference doubleheader at Sea Gull Softball Stadium.

So it should come as no surprise that the perennial leaders of the CAC split two more games, and the long-running series remains tied with both schools now at 36 victories along with two ties.

Salisbury rallied to take the opener, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, en route to a 9-3 triumph Saturday afternoon. The Captains, who had a nine-game winning streak snapped with the first-game loss, bounced back to take the nightcap, 10-5.

The Captains gave senior starter Maiven McKnight a 3-0 lead in game one thanks to a bases-loaded double from junior third baseman Brittney Walters in the top of the first inning. Unfortunately for CNU fans, it would be all the Captains could muster at the plate, as the Sea Gulls scored nine unanswered runs in the 9-3 win. Salisbury chased McKnight in the big fifth inning, handing her her first loss of the year after a 9-0 start.

CNU's bats came alive in the second game, as the Captains jumped to an early 5-1 lead and posted the 10-5 triumph. Junior shortstop Rachael Payne was four-for-four in the nightcap, including a double and a triple, and scored four times while driving in two runs. Christopher Newport blistered Salisbury pitching for 10 runs on 14 hits in the second game that was littered with ten errors, five from each squad.

Senior starter Tara Heatwole went the distance in the nightcap, allowing three earned runs in seven innings while scattering 11 base hits. Heatwole is now 7-5 for the season.

The split drops the Captains into a tie for first place in the conference standings with Frostburg State. Both schools are now 9-1 in league play following Saturday's results.  Keith Parr's squad is now 24-8 overall, while Salisbury is 18-14 for the year, and 7-3 in the CAC.

The Captains have two more conference doubleheaders remaining in the regular season. CNU will travel to Southern Virginia next Friday, April 14, and then close out the regular season with a first-place showdown next Saturday, April 15, at Frostburg State.

The Capital Athletic Conference Tournament, which will include the top five teams in the final standings, will begin on April 20th at the top-seeded school.