NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Third-ranked Christopher Newport split a pair of Capital Athletic Conference softball games Sunday with York College (Pa.). CNU took the opener, 10-7, and the Spartans battled back for a 2-1 triumph in the nightcap on an overcast and mild afternoon at Captains Park. CNU is now 24-4 overall and 5-1 in the CAC, while the Spartans are 21-13 and 6-4.

Christopher Newport jumped to a big lead in the opener, scoring seven times in the bottom of the first inning, only to see the Spartans bounce back and plate six runs in the top of the second frame. Keith Parr's squad added three more in the bottom of the second to take a 10-6 advantage, and then held off the Spartans until a seventh inning single run made the final score 10-7. In the nightcap, all three runs came via home runs as Ginger Lewis of the Spartans out-dueled CNU's Emily Weatherholtz in a 2-1 verdict. 

Seven home runs were hit in the twin bill by the Captains and Spartans. CNU was powered again by the long ball, as the Captains blasted three home runs, with two coming off the bat of freshman Kaitlyn Hasty, one in each game of the doubleheader. Hasty now has 12 for the year and is third in the country in home runs. Christopher Newport leads the nation in home runs per game with 42 in 28 games played. The Spartans also showed great power as York knocked four CNU pitches out of the park in the doubleheader.

Sophomore outfielder Maddie Hool got the Captains going with a leadoff home run in the first inning of the opener. Later in the inning, Hool knocked in two more with a single as the Captains scored seven times in the first frame. Hasty's first home run of the day, a two-run shot, came in the second inning as the Captains added three more runs. Hasty also delivered an RBI single in the big first inning. CNU opening game starter Trish Webb went the distance to earn the victory and improve to 6-2 on the year. Webb struck out seven and gave up seven runs in seven innings of work, but only two were earned thanks to four CNU errors. York starter Shyla Pastore took the loss to fall to 3-2.

In the nightcap, Hasty accounted for CNU's only run with a second inning solo shot to give the Captains a 1-0 lead. York's Natalie Decena and Taylor Lindsay cracked solo blasts in the third and fourth innings to account for the 2-1 final. Lewis held off the Captains by striking out five and stranding eight CNU runners to improve to 10-4 on the year. Weatherholtz struck out ten York hitters but suffered her first loss of the season to fall to 7-1.

Sunday was Senior Day at Captains Park as Nicole Killen, the lone senior on the CNU squad, was honored prior to first pitch. The Captains will be home again on Tuesday, hosting Penn State-Harrisburg in a CAC doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at Captains Park. It will be the final regular season home contests for the Captains.