NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport University's softball record book made a revision Wednesday, as senior first baseman Kaitlyn Hasty set the school's new career home run record. In addition, the fourth-ranked Captains added two victories to the best start of a season in program history. Keith Parr's squad, now 17-0, defeated the University of Lynchburg at Captains Park by scores of 8-0 in five innings and 6-5 in ten innings.

Hasty, an All-American and the National Player of the Week this week, smashed her 44th career home run in the fourth inning of game one of the twin bill. The three-run shot, her tenth of the season, gave CNU an 8-0 lead and enabled the Captains to close out the victory over the Hornets in five innings due to the mercy rule.

Just an inning earlier in the opener, junior catcher Bailey Roberts also crushed a three-run home run that gave the Captains a 4-0 advantage. CNU opened the scoring with a single run in the third frame when senior second baseman Maddie Hool singled in senior outfielder Sarah Proctor prior to Roberts' blast. The Captains also plated a run in the fourth when Proctor was driven home on a single off the bat of senior outfielder Caitlin Abernethy leading up to Hasty's shot.

Freshman pitcher Kate Alger tossed five innings of shutout ball by allowing just two hits and striking out seven. She improved to 5-0 on the season with the victory. Lynchburg starter Emily Charlton fell to 4-3 with the loss.

The nightcap proved to be a much tougher tilt, as the Captains battled from behind and managed to stay unbeaten in extra innings. CNU plated single runs in six different innings, with the final one coming in the bottom of the tenth to pull out the sweep.

Lynchburg opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the first inning on a two-run home run from Kaleigh Hackett. The runs broke a string of 30 consecutive innings of shutout pitching by Captains pitchers. Hasty doubled home a run in the bottom of the first to cut the lead to 2-1. After the Hornets went ahead 3-1 in the top of the second inning on a solo shot by Gracie Dooley, the Captains again answered in the bottom half when Hool delivered an RBI single to cut the lead to 3-2. CNU pulled even in the fifth inning thanks to a solo home run off the bat of Proctor to make it 3-3, which is where it stood until extra innings.

The Hornets re-claimed the lead with an RBI single by Hackett in the eighth, only to have the Captains pull even with another RBI from Hasty, this time coming on a single. Lynchburg again jumped in front in the ninth on a Dooley single, only to have the Captains match them with the help of an error in the bottom of the frame that allowed sophomore Brooke Childress to come home  to even the game at 5-5.

Freshman pitcher Jamie Martin threw the first nine innings of the nightcap for the Captains, allowing just three earned runs. She was relieved for the tenth by Alger, who had pitched all five innings and earned the victory in the opener. Alger struck out two and held the Hornets scoreless, leading to the deciding bottom of the tenth. Head Coach Keith Parr called on junior pitcher Abby Rochette to enter the game in the outfield in the top of the inning, and then inserted freshman Olivia Tullous as a pinch hitter. Tullous delivered the game-deciding hit with a single through the left side to score Rochette...giving the Captains a 6-5 victory and keeping their unbeaten streak alive.

Alger earned the win for the second time of the day to improve to 6-0. Emily Charlton, who took the loss in the opener, entered the game in the fifth inning for the Hornets, and suffered her second defeat of the day to fall to 4-4. Lynchburg is now  9-7 on the season. 

Hasty's record-setting home run moved her past Jessie Atkinson into sole possession of the top career home run total. Atkinson hit 43 career round-trippers for the Captains from 2008-11. Hasty now has 148 career runs batted in, 43 shy of the school's all-time mark of 191 set by Sabrina Hill from 2012-15.

Christopher Newport will host Roanoke College on Saturday. The doubleheader at Captains Park against the 13th-ranked Maroons will begin at 1:00 p.m.