NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The Christopher Newport University softball squad closes out the regular season on Saturday, and the Captains are heading for a first-place showdown at the University of Mary Washington. CNU, ranked fifth in the nation, will play the Eagles twice beginning at 1:00 p.m. in Fredericksburg, with both squads even at 8-2 atop the Capital Athletic Conference. 

Christopher Newport moved into a tie with UMW by splitting a doubleheader Friday at Salisbury to improve to 27-5 overall and 8-2 in league play. The Sea Gulls took the opener, 2-0, before the Captains bounced back to claim the nightcap, 6-1. Christopher Newport was powered in the second game by the pitching of sophomore Emily Weatherholtz, who threw a one-hitter, allowing just a solo home run to the Gulls in the fifth inning.

Salisbury began the day by scoring single runs in the third and fourth innings of the opener to post a 2-0 victory. Junior pitcher Shannon Powell yielded just three hits to the Captains, a single and double off the bat of freshman Caitlin Abernethy and a single from sophomore Patty Maye Ohanian. Junior Trish Webb pitched well, allowing just two runs on four hits, but took the loss to fall to 7-3 on the year.

CNU's bats finally erupted in the third inning of the second game, as the Captains plated six runs on just three hits in the big inning to provide Weatherholtz with all the runs she would need. Junior Grace Wild singled to get things going, and later in the same inning doubled home two runs. Freshman Kaitlyn Hasty drove Wild home with an RBI double to get the scoring started, and freshman Caroline Helmer walked with the bases loaded to score a run. Two CNU runs also scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of freshman Carter Morris, who had been called on to pinch hit.

Weatherholtz, who earned the victory to improve to 9-1, had her no-hitter and shutout come to an end in the fifth inning when Kaleigh Edwards homered for Salisbury. The Sea Gulls are now 21-10 overall and 5-3 in the CAC following the split.

Saturday's opponent in the regular season finale, Mary Washington, is 18-15 overall as well as 8-2 in the CAC heading into the big games with the Captains. CNU leads the all-time series with UMW, 49-8, in 57 previous meetings.

The bracket for the 2019 CAC Tournament will not be finalized until Monday once all games are completed. Salisbury will play Southern Virginia twice on Saturday and the Sea Gulls also still have a twin bill to make up on Monday at Frostburg State.

The CAC tourney this year will be played over two weekends, with action at the top two seeds next Friday and Saturday, April 26th & 27th, followed by the championship series at the higher remaining seed on Friday, May 3rd, and Saturday, May 4th.