VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (WTKR)- Virginia Wesleyan used another big inning to put itself in the NCAA Regional driver's seat, while Christopher Newport bounced back from a loss to move onto Saturday's championship.
The Marlins scored four runs in the fifth inning to fuel a 5-1 win over Swarthmore, while CNU scored the final six runs of its elimination game to top Alfred, 8-3. The Captains fell to Randolph-Macon in their first game of the day to end up in the losers bracket.
VWU took a 1-0 lead in the second inning before adding the crooked number to the scoreboard in the fifth, doing most of its damage with the bases loaded. With three runners on, Laci Campbell laced a hard single right back to the pitcher to score a round. After a Mackenzie Myers walk forced in a run, freshman Sammi Deitsch stepped up and delivered her second RBI knock of the day, a two-run single through the right side to cap off the scoring.
Hannah Hearl spun a gem at pitcher, tossing a complete game and allowing just one run while striking out six.
The Marlins advance to face Messiah on Saturday, needing just one victory to advance to the Super Regional. First pitch is set for 1:00. If Virginia Wesleyan loses the first game, a second winner-take-all contest would follow.
The Captains' day did not start out like they had hoped, dropping the first showdown of the day to the Yellow Jackets, 4-3, but bounced back in their elimination game against the Saxons. Alfred took a 3-2 lead in the third, but CNU tied it right back up in the fourth.
The biggest swing of the day came off the bat of Simone Thompson, who belted her third home run of the regional in the fifth, a two-run shot to put Christopher Newport back on top and Keith Parr's team would add three insurance runs in the seventh to stay alive in the tournament.
The Captains now must beat Randolph-Macon twice on Saturday, with first pitch for game one set for 11:00 AM.
