NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The top two seeds in the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament staged an exciting battle Friday afternoon in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Top-seeded Salisbury University recorded a 5-4 walk-off victory over second-seeded Christopher Newport University thanks to a leadoff home run from Gulls catcher Kaleigh Edwards in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Edwards, who had doubled home a run earlier in the game, took Captains pitcher Gracie Vallejos deep to end the game after the Captains had pulled even in the top of the frame. Keith Parr's squad remains alive in the double elimination tournament, but will now have to bounce back and win three games on Saturday to claim the title at 5 Diamonds at Infinity Fields Softball Complex. 

The Captains jumped to an early 3-0 lead by scoring three times on just one hit in the top of the second inning, two of the runs unearned due to a Sea Gulls error. Senior Keely Crittenden brought home the first run with a ground ball that was mishandled, and senior Maddie Hool then drove home two with a single, the only hit of the frame, to make it 3-0.

Salisbury battled from behind by plating two runs in the fourth and a game-tying run in the fifth to pull even, 3-3. The Gulls, who are tied for the 12th spot in the country with the Captains in this week's national poll, then claimed the lead with a solo home run from Natalie Paoli in the bottom of the sixth inning, 4-3.

The Captains weren't behind for long, knotting the game again in the top of the seventh. Pinch hitter Jules Donnelly opened the inning with a base hit, and junior Kaitlyn Hasty delivered an RBI single scoring pinch-runner Natalie Carmichael to make it 4-4. CNU, however, would strand the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, setting the stage for the bottom of the seventh walk-off. The Captains left a total of eight runners on base in the game.

Sophomore Gracie Vallejos went the distance for Christopher Newport in the pitching circle, allowing five total runs but just two earned on six hits. She struck out ten Sea Gulls and walked four, and took the loss to fall to 12-6.

Salisbury improved to 23-7 with the win, and the Sea Gulls have now won four out of five games this season with the Captains, who  fell to 27-11 overall.

The double elimination tournament will continue on Saturday, with the Captains playing at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time in an elimination game against Mary Washington. The Eagles won two games on Friday to advance to Saturday's play and are now 13-17 on the year. The winner of that game will then play undefeated Salisbury in the Championship game or games Saturday, which are scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.