NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport University fell in the opener of a softball doubleheader at York College (Pa.) Sunday, but sophomore Kimberly Jones smacked two home runs in the nightcap as the Captains came from behind to earn a split. The Spartans won the first game in eight innings, 8-7, while the Captains closed out York in five innings in game two, 13-5.

Keith Parr's team, ranked 16th in the nation last week, is now 17-7 while York is 12-3 following the split.

The Captains held the lead for much of the opening game before the Spartans plated a run in the sixth to even the score at 6-6. CNU re-gained the advantage with a run in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior Katrina Swan, but the Spartans rallied with two in the bottom half of the inning to pull out the victory in the back-and-forth battle.

Junior Simone Thompson crushed a three-run home run in the second inning to start the scoring for CNU. Thompson later gave the Captains a 6-5 edge with a sacrifice fly in the sixth for her fourth RBI of the game. The Captains remarkably scored seven times with just two hits, Thompson's second inning home run and a fourth inning single from junior Candace Slaw. CNU benefited from 18 walks issued by York pitching. Haylee Callahan went the distance in the circle for Christopher Newport, and fell to 6-3 with the loss.

The nightcap opened impressively for the Captains as Slaw stole home in the top of the first for the first run of the game. Jones then clubbed a three-run home run to give CNU a 4-0 early lead. The Spartans, though, bounced back quickly by plating five runs in the bottom of the first frame to take a 5-4 lead. Slaw then recorded an RBI double in the second, followed by an RBI single from senior Isabel Hall, and the Captains were ahead to stay. Jones tagged her second three-run dinger of the day in the fourth, and junior Natalie Quinlan registered her second RBI of the game with a fifth inning fielder's choice to push the lead to eight and end the nightcap in five innings.

Freshman Cora Grace Sparger pitched all five innings in game two, earning her tenth win of the year against just three losses. Slaw was three-for-four in the second game, scoring four times. Jones' two home runs give her five for the season, and the Captains have now hit 33 in the first 24 games.

Christopher Newport heads on the road again on Wednesday for a doubleheader at Bridgewater College. Game one is set to begin at 2:30 p.m.