RALEIGH, N.C. - Fresh off a Wednesday sweep of conference-rival Salisbury, the Captains of Christopher Newport won two non-conference games on Thursday at William Peace University. CNU posted a 6-1 victory in the opener, and followed it up with a 13-1 triumph in the nightcap.
Keith Parr's squad is now 21-3 and riding a 12-game winning streak.
The Captains got off to a solid start thanks to the pitching of sophomore
Aubrey Bates, who gave up just a third inning single and no runs through the first six frames. Her shutout was spoiled in the seventh inning but Bates improved to 9-0 with the 6-1 victory. CNU recorded four fourth-inning runs thanks to a pair of two-run home runs from freshman
Emerald Cheesbrew and sophomore
Tara Deck. Cheesbrew's blast, her team-leading seventh of the season, followed Deck's fifth long ball of the year earlier in the frame that put the Captains comfortably in front. Senior centerfielder
Leah Andrews was three-for-three at the plate for CNU in the opener.
In the second game, the Captains again put up big numbers and cruised to the 13-1 win in a game shortened to five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule. CNU scored in all five innings and ended up with 13 runs on 12 base hits. Sophomore catcher
Calah Savage was four-for-four with two doubles and drove in four runs. Sophomore second baseman
Grace Wild was three-for-four and also drove in four runs. Wild clubbed her fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fourth inning. Sophomore
Laura Kate Moss earned the win to improve to 4-3 on the year. Moss struck out five and allowed just one unearned run over five innings of work.
The Captains, ranked fourth in the country this week, have now out-scored their opponents, 101-13, during the 12-game winning streak. Head Coach
Keith Parr announced Thursday night that this Saturday's scheduled doubleheader at Mary Washington has been postponed due to poor weather forecast for the Fredericksburg area. A make-up day for the CAC doubleheader will be announced on Friday. The Captains are 4-0 atop the CAC standings.
