Captains fall twice Friday at Rowan in NCAA Super Regional, ending season at 34-7

GLASSBORO, N.J. — The Christopher Newport University softball season came to a close on Friday, as the third-ranked Captains fell twice to 15th-ranked Rowan University in the NCAA Super Regional at Rowan Softball Stadium. The Profs shut out CNU in the opener, 2-0, and then came from behind to take the deciding third game of the best-of-three series, 6-3.

The Captains, who finished the season with a 34-7 record, had beaten the Profs on Thursday on the opening day of the Super Regional, 6-0. CNU had won 19 straight games heading into Friday's action.

Keith Parr's squad managed just four hits in the two games, with three coming from freshman leadoff hitter Candace Slaw. In the opening game, CNU was one-hit by Rowan lefthander Emily McCutcheon, who was named the Most Outstanding Pitcher of the Super Regional. Senior Jules Donnelly registered a second game single for the only other hit of the day.

The Profs, now 39-8, will advance to play in the National Finals next week in Marshall, Texas. Rowan scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings of the opener off CNU starter Kate Alger, who fell to 16-5 with the loss. Christopher Newport stranded five runners, including two in the sixth inning after Slaw had opened with a bunt single and senior Delaney Nuckols followed with a walk. McCutcheon was able to navigate the jam, and improved her record to 20-1 with the victory, retiring the last six Captains she faced to end the game.

McCutcheon was then called on to start the deciding second game for the Profs, and threw the first three frames. The Captains jumped on top in the first inning when Slaw opened with a single, followed by a walk to Nuckols. Two Rowan errors on back-to-back plays scored the first CNU run, and then Donnelly flied to center for a sacrifice fly to put the Captains ahead, 2-0.

Christopher Newport sent junior lefthander Jamie Martin to the circle for the second game, and Martin sailed through the first two frames before being touched for a run in the third to make it 2-1. CNU added a run in the top of the fourth, again aided by a Rowan error, the final of three in the game. Pinch runner Brenna Morefield scored to make it 3-1 after entering the game for freshman Natalie Quinlan, who had opened the inning with a walk.

Rowan then battled back, scoring five unanswered runs to over three innings to finish off the 6-3 victory. The Profs inserted Raylee Lutz in the circle in relief, and Lutz held the Captains scoreless and did not allow a hit over the final four innings to earn the victory and improve to 19-7. Martin took the loss to end the season with a 13-2 record.

Rowan's rightfielder Zara MacNair was selected the Most Outstanding Player of the Super Regional. MacNair was two-for-three with a run scored and two RBI in the final game.

CNU was out-hit by the Profs for the day, 16-4, and out-scored 8-3, on a sunny and warm day in South Jersey.

Rowan will be one of eight teams to advance to the National Finals next week in Marshall, Texas.