NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Post-season play opened for the Christopher Newport softball squad Friday afternoon, and the eighth-ranked Captains responded with two decisive victories at Captains Park as the 2018 Capital Athletic Conference Tournament got under way. CNU, the top seed in the six-team tourney, opened with a 14-4 triumph over Penn State-Harrisburg and then followed with a 10-0 victory later in the day over Frostburg State. Both triumphs came in just five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.
The Captains scored a total of 24 runs on 25 hits for the day, as CNU plated runs in eight of nine innings played. Senior centerfielder
Leah Andrews had a huge day for the Captains, going four-for-five at the plate with seven runs scored and seven runs batted in. Andrews drove in six runs in the opening game against Penn State-Harrisburg, and smacked her sixth home run of the season, a grand slam in the fourth inning that closed out the scoring in the 14-4 victory.
Freshman
Patty Maye Ohanian also recorded her sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the opening inning against the Lions that started the scoring barrage. Ohanian was identified Friday as one of the 25 student-athletes under consideration for the Schutt Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Player of the Year honor that will be handed out following the completion of the NCAA Tournament.
Sophomore first baseman
Liz Andrews also contributed a four-for-seven effort in the two games, including three doubles, driving home three CNU runs. Sophomore second baseman
Grace Wild was three-for-three in the first game, and senior
Savannah Couch was three-for-five in the twin bill, scoring four runs.
In the pitching circle, sophomores
Laura Kate Moss and
Aubrey Bates benefited from the run production. Moss won the opener over the Lions to improve to 8-4 on the year, and Bates upped her record to 15-1 by allowing just one hit and striking out six in five innings in the second game against the Bobcats.
Keith Parr's squad is now 32-6 and has won 11 straight games, and will play at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning again against the Bobcats of Frostburg State at Captains Park. The three-team, double-elimination pod would conclude with another win by Christopher Newport. FSU would have to win twice on Saturday, with a second game to be played at 12 noon if necessary, to advance to next weekend's CAC Championship against either Salisbury or York.
Penn State-Harrisburg was knocked out of the double-elimination pod by dropping a 7-3 decision to Frostburg State in the second game of three played Friday at Captains Park. The Lions ended the season with a 14-17 record, and were the sixth seed in the six-team CAC Tournament. Frostburg State is now 21-15 following the Friday split.
In the other three-team pod in Salisbury, Md., the second-seeded Sea Gulls won twice Friday and could wrap things up with a Saturday morning win over York. Mary Washington was eliminated following two losses to Salisbury and York. The winners of the pods will meet next Friday and Saturday at the highest-remaining seed to determine the CAC Champion in a best-of-three series. Saturday's action from Captains Park will again be streamed live on CNUsports.com/live with live video and stats beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Game One Highlights:
Game Two Highlights:
