Post-Game Press Conference
ALLIANCE, Ohio - Christopher Newport University edged Penn College, 3-2, Thursday afternoon as the Captains began play in the 2026 NCAA Division III Softball Regional at the University of Mount Union. Juniors
Natalie Quinlan and
Katrina Swan each hit solo home runs in the sixth inning, and sophomore
Caroline Alger went the distance in the circle as
Keith Parr's team improved to 29-11 on the season.
The Captains will play host Mount Union on Friday morning at 11:00 a.m. in the second round of the double-elimination regional. Mount Union defeated Lebanon Valley, 7-2, in the opening game of the day Thursday.
Christopher Newport and Penn College each scored single runs in the first inning on a windy and cool day in northeastern Ohio. Junior
Candace Slaw walked, stole second, and later scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first, evening the game at 1-1 after the Wildcats had pushed across a run with a bunt in the top of the inning.
Both starting pitchers, Alger and Penn's Mackenzie Tice, settled down after that and pitched scoreless softball through the next four innings. The Captains threatened in each inning, but left two runners on base in each of the second, third, fourth, and fifth frames. Penn re-gained the lead, scratching a run across in the top of the sixth thanks to an RBI double from shortstop Harley Kunes, to take a 2-1 advantage.
The Captains answered in the bottom half, as Quinlan led off with her ninth home run of the year, pulling a pitch over the left field fence to tie the score at 2-2. Two batters later, Swan went to the opposite field, smacking a line drive to right that cleared the fence for her third roundtripper of the season, giving the Captains the go-ahead run, 3-2.
Alger then retired the side in order in the seventh to seal the victory and improve her record to 8-0 on the season. For the day, Alger yielded just two runs while scattering seven base hits, stranding six Penn runners on base.
Tice saw her record fall to 22-5 after giving up just five hits to the Captains. She had pitched 167 innings this season without allowing a home run before Quinlan and Swan went deep for the Captains in the sixth inning. Penn fell to 33-8 on the year with the loss, and the Wildcats will play Lebanon Valley on Friday at 1:30 p.m. in the first elimination game of the four-team regional.
The two long balls now give the Captains 50 home runs this season in 40 games played. CNU came into NCAA play fourth in the country in home runs per game.
Quinlan was the lone Captain to produce two hits on the day, singling in the fourth inning and homering in the sixth. Slaw and sophomore
Alexah Gordon each stole two bases in the victory, and Gordon has now stolen 38 bases this season without being caught, and Slaw is now 34-for-37.
Christopher Newport has now won at least one NCAA Tournament game in each of the last five seasons, and the Captains are appearing in their 19th consecutive NCAA Tournament.Â
A link is provided at the top of this story to access the post-game press conference featuring Head Coach
Keith Parr as well as Quinlan and Alger.
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