NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The top-ranked Christopher Newport University softball squad bounced back from a 1-0 defeat on Friday to Pfeiffer by staging a come-from-behind 6-5 triumph Friday over Millikin at Captains Park. The win came on the second day of the Cross Bay Bash, and Keith Parr's squad is now 4-2 to start the season.

CNU pushed three runs across in the bottom of the sixth pull out the victory after trailing the entire game. Sophomore pitchers Jamie Martin and Kate Alger combined to yield just two earned runs on five hits. Martin threw the first six innings to earn the victory and improve to 2-1. Alger threw a perfect seventh frame to post her first save of the young season.

The Big Blue of Millikin opened the game on a cloudy and chilly late afternoon start by scoring three times in the second inning, with two unearned due to a CNU error. The Captains cut the lead to 3-1 when Meredith Brickner homered in the bottom of the third inning.

Millikin added to its advantage by plating two more in the fourth frame, with only one earned. The Captains answered with two of their own in the bottom of the fourth, as Kensley Hess walked with the bases loaded and Sammy Drew registered a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3.

Christopher Newport then erupted for the three-run sixth to jump in front for the first time. Ellie Post crushed a home run to get things going, and Sammy Drew tied the game with an RBI triple. The deciding run came across thanks to a Millikin error allowing Drew to score for the 6-5 final.

The Cross Bay Bash continues on Saturday with four games at Captains Park, two involving CNU. The second game of the day features the top two teams in the country in the pre-season poll, CNU and Trine, who met last year in Salem as the Captains captured their first National Championship.

The complete schedule for Saturday:
Saturday, March 11
GAME 5        #2 TRINE VS. PFEIFFER, 10 AM
GAME 6        #1 CNU VS. #2 TRINE,12:30 PM
GAME 7        #1 CNU VS. #5 BERRY, 3 PM
GAME 8        #5 BERRY VS. TRANSYLVANIA, 5:30 PM