Christopher Newport University

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport University captured the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Championship Friday, beating the University of Mary Washington in the title game, 8-1, at Captains Park. Junior Brooke Zuber crushed a grand slam home run, and freshman Olivia Miller slammed a two-run shot as the Captains won for the eighth time in their last nine games. Sophomore pitcher Caroline Alger went the distance, allowing just one unearned run, to improve to 7-0 on the season.

Keith Parr's team upped its record to 28-11 with the victory on a picture-perfect day at the park, while Mary Washington's season came to a close with a 17-25 mark. The third-seeded Eagles had ousted second-seeded Salisbury University earlier in the day, 5-4, to advance to the title game.

CNU, the top seed in the three-team conference tournament, fell behind briefly when the Eagles scored an unearned run in the top of the second inning. The Captains responded in the bottom of the frame with a run-scoring double off the bat of junior catcher Natalie Quinlan. The two-bagger brought home junior Simone Thompson, who had reached base after being hit by a pitch and raced home all the way from first base. Miller then followed by clubbing her two-run home run, her fifth of the season, over the left field fence, to put the Captains in front to stay, 3-1. 

Christopher Newport added to its lead with a big fifth frame, culminating with Zuber's grand slam, her tenth home run of the season. The blast plated junior Katrina Swan and sophomore Alexah Gordon, who had both singled, as well as junior Candace Slaw, who had reached base on a walk. CNU added another single run in the sixth when Swan and Slaw each doubled to account for the 8-1 final verdict.

Alger wiggled out of bases-loaded jams in both the second and third innings, holding the Eagles to their lone second inning score and stranding five runners on base. She struck out six and retired the last eight batters of the game, leading to a CNU celebration and presentation of the conference trophy.

The league title is the third straight for the Captains, and eighth overall since joining the Capital Athletic Conference in 2014. While the conference title no longer includes an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, the Captains will find out Monday if they will advance with an at-large bid to their 19th consecutive tourney. The bracket for the 2026 NCAA Championship will be released Monday morning at 11:00 a.m.