SALISBURY, Md. - The Captains of Christopher
Newport University swept the Salisbury University Sea Gulls in
softball for the first time since 1995 with back-to-back victories
on Wednesday afternoon at the SU Softball Field. The sweep is also
significant in that it is the first time the Captains have swept
the Sea Gulls on the road since 1994.
CNU came back to win game one, 5-4, and held on in the second
game to post a 6-4 victory before a home opening day crowd of 125.
Salisbury (7-5) entered today's non-conference doubleheader with
a 19-7-2 record since 1996 against the Captains. The Sea Gulls also
had won the last three straight against CNU. Salisbury ended
Christopher Newport's season last year in the NCAA regional.
The Captains (8-2) jumped out on the Sea Gulls in the first
innings of both games to take early 3-0 and 2-0 leads,
respectively.
In the first game, the Captains scored three runs off SU starter
Stacy Davis in the first inning. CNU first baseman
Kristin Nickloy hit a two-run double with two outs to push the
Captains' lead to three. SU answered with a run in the bottom of
the first inning. The Sea Gulls took their first and only lead in
the second inning as the maroon and gold pushed across three
unearned runs thanks to Captain fielding errors. Salisbury led 4-3
until the fifth inning.
CNU right fielder Megan Morris led off the inning with a solo
home run to right field off Davis, the Capital Athletic Conference
Softball Athlete of the Week. SU surrendered three singles to load
the bases before Davis plunked CNU third baseman Danielle Steel
which plated catcher Margit Severin for the eventual game-winning
run.
Davis (4-2) pitched the complete game where she gave up five
runs on nine hits, walked one and struck out five. CNU's Lindsay
Kelly (1-0) picked up the win in relief while Kristen Rowe earned
her first save of the season.
In the second game, CNU's top three batters did all the damage
as the trio of Morris, Mary Kennedy and Katie Moyers (4-for-4)
combined to bat 5-for-8, score all six runs as Moyers drove in five
runs.
The Captains chased Sea Gull starting pitcher Rachel
Hastings (2-2) from the game in the third inning as senior
Kortni Pedlow took over in the circle. Pedlow got
the Sea Gulls out of the jam and kept the Gulls in the game, down
3-2, as the teams went into the seventh inning. Moyers slammed a
three-run home run to left field to increase the CNU lead to four,
6-2. In the bottom half of the inning, Salisbury scored two runs as
Hastings doubled home shortstop Kelly Waskewicz
(2-for-4) and then scored on a Lauren Brenneman
RBI single. Rowe recorded the final three outs for the Captains as
Kristen Bruce (4-1) started the game and went six strong innings.
The Sea Gulls scored two runs in the fourth inning off three
consecutive doubles from Stacey Malarkey,
Ali Ritter and Kristin Lord
(3-for-3). Pinch hitter Amanda Horsey added a
sacrifice fly to score pinch runner Taylor Webb.
SU hit six doubles in the second game.
Salisbury left 18 runners on base in the two games combined and
committed two errors in the field. CNU left 15 runners on base and
had four combined errors in the two-game sweep.
The Sea Gulls still hold a 21-19-2 series lead against the
Captains since 1989.
SU will next be in action this weekend as the maroon and gold
host their Sea Gull Tournament with Swarthmore, Capital and Wilson.
Salisbury opens with Swarthmore on Saturday, March 15, at 1 p.m.
