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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.- The Christopher Newport University softball squad jumped out to a big lead Saturday and then had to hold on to beat Virginia Wesleyan, 7-6, in the 2014 NCAA Softball Regional at Virginia Wesleyan College. The Captains, ranked fifth in the country and now riding a 16-game winning streak, advance to the Regional Championship to be played at 12 noon on Sunday. CNU will take on the host school again for the title in the double-elimination tournament thanks to a 6-3 Marlins victory later in the day over Catholic.

CNU got the day started by plating six runs in the top of the first inning, and then watched the Marlins battle back. VWC got on the board with four in the fourth to cut the lead to 6-4. The Captains added an insurance run in the top of the seventh that proved to be the deciding run as the Marlins scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to fall just short, 7-6. The loss ended a 16-game VWC winning streak.

"That was quite a battle," CNU Head Coach Keith Parr said following the victory. "It was obviously a key to get out in front, but we knew it would probably come down to the last play of the last inning...that's the way it is with a cross-town rivalry like this."

The Captains, 37-6 for the season, now have the advantage of having to be beaten twice Sunday in the title game of the double-elimination regional. CNU beat Catholic on Friday to open the tournament, 6-1. 

"It's a big difference from a fatigue standpoint not to have to play an extra game today," Parr continued. "We're going to get home and get some rest and prepare for Sunday's Championship."

CNU opened the game Saturday by getting its first four batters on base, three by virtue of singles. Junior Sabrina Hill, the Captains cleanup hitter, delivered a single to center scoring the first two runs of the game. Later in the inning that saw CNU send 10 batters to the plate, sophomore Tori Clarke knocked in two more runs with a double to the gap in left center. Sophomore Alexis Pope also posted a first inning single to score a run, and later scored on a throwing error by the Marlins. In all, the Captains scored six runs on six hits with two Marlins errors in the inning.

Freshman lefthander Makayla Jenkins started the game for CNU and pitched into the sixth inning before being relieved by freshman righthander Krista Lewis, who pitched the final two frames. Jenkins struggled with her control, walking five and also hitting a batter. Virginia Wesleyan got on the board by scoring four times in the fourth on just three hits. The Marlins were aided by two walks by Jenkins as well as a hit batter in the inning that scored a run.

Christopher Newport's insurance run in the top of the seventh inning, the run that proved to be the game winner, came on a single to center by junior Kelsey Lewis, who had entered the game as CNU's catcher in the fifth inning when her sister Krista came on to pitch. Lewis' hit scored senior Kristina McLaughlin with what proved to be the deciding run.

Virginia Wesleyan's rally in the bottom of the seventh inning was fueled by a two-run home run off the bat of senior Lindsey Izana. Following the blast, the Marlins put the potential game-tying run on base when Lewis walked sophomore Taylor Galvin. Lewis, who was appearing in just her second relief stint of the season, recovered to get back-to-back comeback grounders to end the game.

"Pitching in relief is very different," Lewis said. "I just knew I had to stay confident. There's obviously a lot more pressure and it's more intense. I had to keep my head in it and stay focused."

The Captains finished the game with 13 hits for the second straight day. Seniors Candice Zollars and Taylor Dillow as well as junior Sabrina Hill all posted two hits. Hill and sophomore Tori Clarke each drove in two runs.

Jenkins, who came into the game with the fifth lowest ERA in all of Division III, picked up the win to improve to 8-1. She gave up four runs in five innings of work on four hits with five walks and one strikeout. Lewis, who is 19-2 as a starter, registered her first save of the season.

Virginia Wesleyan starter Kristina Karagiorgis went the distance, allowing seven runs, five earned, on 13 hits. She fell to 21-3 for the season. The Marlins scored their six runs on just six hits against CNU pitching.

In the second game of the day, Catholic knocked the College of Staten Island out of the regional. Virginia Wesleyan then posted the 6-3 win over Catholic to conclude the day's action and set up the CNU/VWC final. Sunday's action will pit a CNU team that is now 37-6 against a Virginia Wesleyan squad that is 39-6.