NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport University split a pair of games Friday to open play in the Cross Bay Bash at Captains Park. Keith Parr's squad had a 12-game winning streak snapped by the top-ranked team in the country, East Texas Baptist University, in CNU's first game Friday, 8-2. The seventh-ranked Captains bounced back to defeat George Fox University, 5-1, in their second game at Captains Park.

Senior pitcher Kate Alger was superb in the second game of the day, shutting down George Fox by striking out 12 and allowing just one run on four hits. She improved her record to 6-0, and is now just two strikeouts shy of the all-time school record of 488 set by Michelle Kass-Prewitt from 2003-2005.

The Captains scored twice in the first inning against the Bruins, all that Alger would need, and then added three more in the third frame. Fifth-year senior third baseman Brooke Greaver drove home two runs with a third inning double, and freshman Brooke Zuber and sophomore Mackenzie Sowonik also drove in runs to lead the Captains at the plate against George Fox, as the Bruins fell to 4-4 on the year.

In the opening game, top-ranked East Texas Baptist improved to 18-2 with the 8-2 triumph. Leftfielder Madalyn Melton delivered two three-run home runs for the Tigers, accounting for six of the eight runs. CNU senior pitcher Jamie Martin suffered her first loss of the season in the opener, falling to 6-1. Martin yielded five runs on six hits over six innings of work. ETBU starter Avery Holland upped her mark to 5-0 by going the distance, and allowing just two runs on four hits to the Captains.

Sophomore centerfielder Candace Slaw, the National Player of the Week this week, was three-for-six in the two games Friday. Slaw also scored three runs and stole a base. Slaw started the scoring vs. ETBU in the first inning, when she doubled and came home from second base on a bunt hit off the bat of freshman Cora Thomas. CNU's other run of the game came in the seventh inning when Greaver smacked her 30th career home run.

Christopher Newport is now 13-1 and Saturday's schedule has the Captains playing Pfeiffer at 12 noon, followed by a 2:30 p.m. game vs. 22nd-ranked Moravian University. The action will conclude on Sunday as CNU will play George Fox twice, with games at 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. The Cross Bay Bash is co-hosted by Virginia Wesleyan University, and the Marlins will also host games at their facility in Virginia Beach over the weekend.