RALEIGH, N.C. - Christopher Newport University wrapped up the 2022 softball regular season on Sunday, as the top-ranked Captains swept a twin bill from Meredith College. CNU took the opener by a 6-0 score, and then cruised to a 9-1 triumph in the nightcap. Keith Parr's squad will take a 35-1 record into the post season, which begins on May 5th when the Captains host the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at Captains Park.

Freshmen pitchers Jamie Martin and Olivia Kim combined to record CNU's 18th shutout of the season in the opener, most in the nation. Martin raised her record to 13-1 by allowing just two hits over the first six innings and struck out eight Meredith batters. Kim took over to throw a perfect seventh frame to close out the 34th win of the year for the Captains.

Christopher Newport, the top home run hitting team in the country, didn't post any long balls in the two victories, but instead used three doubles in the opening game to record the 6-0 victory over the Avenging Angels. Senior Kaitlyn Hasty delivered the first two-bagger in the top of the opening inning to get things off to a fast start, scoring senior Caitlin Abernethy for the game's first run. Senior Caroline Helmer delivered another RBI double later in the first, scoring pinch-runner Brenna Morefield to make it 2-0.

The score remained 2-0 until the sixth when senior Sarah Proctor cracked a third run-scoring double, this time plating two runs as senior Natalie Carmichael and junior Nicole Apai crossed the plate to give the Captains a 4-0 edge. CNU would add two more in the seventh, as Abernethy and sophomore Jules Donnelly would touch home plate en route to the 6-0 final.

In the nightcap, Meredith took the early lead by scoring a first inning run before the Captains surged in front in the third frame. Hasty again brought home Abernethy with a single, and sophomore Brooke Greaver plated Hasty thanks to an error by the Avenging Angels. In the fourth, Abernethy singled to drive in Carmichael and later in the inning senior Maddie Hool stole home to make it 5-1. Carmichael padded the lead in the fifth frame when she doubled home Donnelly, and freshman McKenzie Presson added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh by clubbing a bases-clearing double to account for the 9-1 final verdict.

Kim started the second game, and pitched the first five innings, yielding just one run while scattering seven MC hits to run her record for the season to 5-0. Junior Abby Rochette tossed the final two perfect innings as the Captains put their 35th win of the year in the books.

Abernethy recorded a 5-for-8 day at the plate in the twin bill, and scored three times while also driving in a run. Carmichael was 3-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Meredith fell to 20-17 with the defeats. The Captains, who have now won 12 straight games, opened the season with a 23-game winning streak before losing their only game of the regular season at Averett University on March 27th. They have been the top-ranked team in the country for the last five weeks.

Christopher Newport will host Salisbury and Mary Washington at Captains Park in the 2022 Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. The double-elimination tourney will begin with two games on Thursday, May 5th, and continue with two more on Friday, May 6th.  The tournament final game would take place on Saturday, May 7th, if necessary. The winner of the tournament will receive the C2C's automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

The Captains are looking to advance to their 20th NCAA Tournament, and 15th consecutive, in the 38th season of CNU softball. This marks the 11th time in program history the Captains have recorded 35 or more victories.