NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport University, the top softball team in the nation, recorded a 6-1 victory at Virginia Wesleyan University Wednesday afternoon. The second game scheduled at Broyles Field in Virginia Beach was postponed due to rain.

The Captains improved to 22-0 by scoring early and often. CNU jumped to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning when senior catcher Bailey Roberts crushed her sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot scoring senior Caitlin Abernethy, who led off to start the game with a triple.

Christopher Newport added three more runs in the second inning to take a commanding 5-0 lead. Again, Roberts came through for the Captains, slamming a double to left field scoring senior Maddie Hool, who had reached base with the first of her two singles on the day. CNU then scored two more runs in less conventional ways, as junior pinch-runner Nicole Apai came across home plate thanks to a passed ball...and Roberts came home on a double steal.

The Captains added an insurance run in the top of the fourth when senior Kaitlyn Hasty's sacrifice fly plated senior Sarah Proctor with the sixth run of the day. Proctor had doubled  to reach base. The Captains scored their six runs on nine hits, including three singles off the bat of sophomore Katie Currin.

Freshman starting pitcher Kate Alger threw shutout ball through the first six frames for CNU, before yielding a run in the bottom of the seventh to the Marlins to avoid the shutout. Alger notched the win to improve to 8-0 to start her freshman season. She scattered six hits and stranded eight Marlins on the basepaths. She struck out two and walked three as Christopher Newport extended its longest winning streak in program history to 22 games.

Virginia Wesleyan, ranked third in the country this week, fell to 17-4 for the season on a cloudy and threatening afternoon at Broyles Field. Rain intensified following the completion of the opener, and the scheduled second game was postponed.

Keith Parr's squad will next travel to Danville, Va., on Sunday for a doubleheader at Averett University. First pitch for the opener is set for 1:30 p.m.