NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - When Christopher Newport University and Salisbury University meet on the softball field, dramatic things tend to happen. Friday at Captains Park, the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference rivals staged another epic battle, with CNU prevailing in eight innings, 9-5, in the C2C Championship game. Senior outfielder Sammy Drew provided the heroics in the eighth, when she crushed a walk-off grand slam home run to send CNU fans home happy.

"It seems every time we play Salisbury, it's a nail-biter," Head Coach Keith Parr said during the post-game celebration. "It's always great to see this team compete and come away with a big win. This is even nicer because we'll take some extra momentum into the NCAA's next week."

The title game was a back-and-forth battle, with both squads wrestling for momentum. The Sea Gulls got off to a fast start with two runs in the first inning off C2C Pitcher of the Year Jamie Martin. The Captains answered two innings later when they batted around and scored four times to grab a 4-2 edge. C2C Player of the Year Brooke Greaver put CNU on the board with a run-scoring double, and sophomore Natalie Quinlan singled home another run three batters later to tie the game at 2-2. Sophomore Simone Thompson then delivered a two-out, two-run single to put the Captains ahead for the first time, 4-2. Salisbury would chip away by scoring a single run in the fourth, and the Sea Gulls then evened things up at 4-4 with another solo run in the fifth frame.  

Drew appeared she would be the hero when the Captains re-claimed the lead in the home half of the sixth. The Gulls decided to pitch around Greaver, walking the fifth-year senior third baseman, to pitch to Drew instead. Drew delivered with an infield single that gave the Captains the lead again, 5-4. Salisbury, however, wasn't ready to go quietly. The Gulls scratched across a fifth run in the top of the seventh to knot the score at 5-5.After the Captains were retired 1-2-3 in the seventh, the two Top 10 teams went to extra innings.

After the Sea Gulls were retired in order in the top of the eighth, the Captains opened the bottom of the eighth with a leadoff single from senior second baseman Olivia Tullous. Sophomore Candace Slaw executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to move pinch-runner Cora Thomas to second base.Senior Brenna Morefield then reached base on an infield single, giving the Captains runners at the corners with one out. With Greaver at the plate, Morefield stole second base, and the Gulls elected again to pitch around Greaver to load the bases with Drew coming to the plate. The senior from Virginia Beach needed only a fly ball to end the game, but instead smashed a fly ball to center field that cleared the fence for her ninth home run of the year, sending the Captains to a league title and post-game celebration.

Senior Kate Alger, who entered the game in relief of senior starter Jamie Martin in the sixth inning, threw the final three innings to earn the victory. Alger raised her record to 17-2 with the win in her first relief appearance of the season. Salisbury sophomore Sydney Adolfson entered the game in relief during CNU's four-run third inning. She pitched the final six innings and her record fell to 19-3 with the loss.

The Captains are now 35-4 and will begin preparing for an NCAA Tournament appearance for the 18th straight season, and 22nd in the 41-year history of the program. The bracket for the upcoming tournament will be released on NCAA.com at 11:00 a.m. Monday morning. Parr's squad will likely be hosting a regional beginning next Thursday at Captains Park. CNU won the National Championship for the first time ever in 2022. 

Salisbury is now 33-6-1 and the eighth-ranked Sea Gulls will also find themselves in the NCAA bracket when it is released Monday morning. Salisbury defeated Mary Washington, 10-1, in the first game on Friday at Captains Park to advance to the title game vs. the Captains.

Drew's game-winning grand slam Friday was reminiscent of another conference championship game against Salisbury at Captains Park back in 2014. That's when CNU senior Taylor Dillow hit a pinch hit, walk-off home run, also in the bottom of the eighth inning, to give the Captains a 3-2 victory, also over Salisbury, in the Capital Athletic Conference title game. That drama-filled triumph ended Salisbury's run of 17 straight Capital Athletic Conference titles.

Christopher Newport has now won seven straight games over Salisbury over the last two years, and the Captains now hold a 56-48 lead in the all-time series with two ties.

CNUsports.com will have details on CNU's trip to the NCAA Tournament Monday following the bracket release by the NCAA.

2025 C2C Softball All-Tournament Team:

Christopher Newport 
Sammy Drew (MVP)
Brenna Morefield 
Brooke Greaver
Candace Slaw

Salisbury
Ellen Stockman
Jill Dawson
Emily Challender

Mary Washington
Bayly Yerigan
Brigid Ward