NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Junior Kaitlyn Hasty homered in both games of a softball doubleheader Wednesday at Captains Park, as Christopher Newport University split a St. Patrick's Day twin bill with Virginia Wesleyan University. Hasty crushed a grand slam in the opening game won by the Captains, 10-1, and then accounted for the only CNU run in the nightcap, a 3-1 loss to the Marlins on a cloudy and cool day on the home field.

The Captains, ranked fifth in the country in the weekly poll from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), closed out the second-ranked Virginia Wesleyan squad in five innings in the opener due to the eight-run mercy rule. Christopher Newport jumped to the lead when junior Sarah Proctor stole home in the first inning and then added another run in the second when freshman catcher Bianca Palmer-Scott crossed the plate thanks to wild pitch.

Christopher Newport would open the lead in a wild third frame that saw them score seven times, with the final four coming home on Hasty's first long ball of the day and her fifth of the season. Proctor singled home a run and then two runs scored for the Captains on bases loaded passes from Marlins starter Hanna Hull, who walked a career-high ten in just two and a third innings of work. Hull was relieved in the seven-run third frame, and suffered her first loss of the season to fall to 7-1. Christopher Newport senior pitcher Emily Weatherholtz improved to 6-2 on the season by allowing just one run on three hits over five innings. 

In the second game, Hasty connected for her second dinger of the day in the fourth inning to break a scoreless tie. The shot was Hasty's sixth of the season, and her 29th career home run. The run would prove to be the only one of the game for Keith Parr's squad, as VWU freshman Emily Seale went the distance to improve her record to 7-1. Seale yielded just one run on three hits and struck out three.

The Captains managed just Hasty's home run over the first six frames, but senior Maddie Hool and Hasty each singled to start a rally in the bottom of the seventh. With the potential winning run at the plate, Seale wiggled out of trouble thanks to a game-ending line drive double play, preserving the 3-1 win for the Marlins, who are now 14-2-1 on the season. Sophomore Gracie Vallejos pitched the nightcap for the Captains, and allowed just two earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts. Her record fell to 7-2 for the year.

Christopher Newport is now 14-6 on the season and hosts another doubleheader Saturday at Captains Park, as Roanoke comes to town for two. The first pitch of the opening game is set for 1:30 p.m.