NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport and Emory split a non-conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Captains Park. The Captains, ranked sixth in the country, took the opener by a 7-5 score. The Eagles, tied for 23rd in the nation, bounced back to post a 7-2 victory in the nightcap.
Emory jumped to a 4-1 lead in the opener thanks to three runs in the second inning before CNU starter
Aubrey Bates settled down. The Captains recovered with a four-run fourth to go ahead and then plated two more in the fifth en route to the 7-5 final. Bates, who earned the victory to improve to 4-0 on the year, ended up pitching all seven innings and allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits. The sophomore struck out three and walked three.
Freshman catcher
Emerald Cheesbrew blasted a solo home run in the fourth inning of the opener, her fifth home run of the season in only 27 at bats. Cheesbrew is now 14-for-27 at the dish this year for a .519 average. Senior centerfielder
Leah Andrews had two hits in both games, including a two-run triple in the fourth inning of the opener, and came home on a throwing error on the relay..
In the nightcap, the Eagles had two big innings with four in the fourth and three in the fifth on the way to the 7-2 triumph. The Captains got on the board on a pinch-hit home run from sophomore
Calah Savage in the fifth inning. CNU starter, sophomore
Laura Kate Moss, pitched the first five innings and only three of the seven runs she allowed were earned. She took the loss to fall to 2-3 on the season.
Leah Andrews was two-for-four in the second game, as she was in the first, and finished the day four-for-eight with two doubles and a triple as well as two runs batted in.
Emory now has a 6-5 edge in the all-time series, and the Eagles also smacked two home runs during the double dip. CNU had a six-game winning streak snapped with the loss in Game 2, and the Captains are now 9-3 on the year, while the Eagles are 7-5 following the split. The Captains hit the road for weekend non-conference doubleheaders at Eastern Mennonite on Saturday and Roanoke on Sunday.
