Newport News, Va. -- University of Lynchburg's softball team suffered its first sweep of the season Wednesday, dropping a pair to No. 4-ranked Christopher Newport on the road. The Captains took the opener in convincing fashion, 8-0 in 5 innings, and came from behind in the nightcap to walk off with a 6-5, 10-inning win.

The Hornets defense let the visitors down in the opener. Starter Emily Charlton started off with two scoreless innings against the unbeaten Captains and their best-in-the-country offense, but a leadoff error got CNU started in the third. The Captains' baserunner, Sarah Proctor, promptly stole second and came around to score on a single for the first run of the game. After another Lynchburg error put a pair of runners on base, Bailey Roberts clubbed a three-run home run to put the Captains decisively ahead.

Meanwhile, the Lynchburg bats were slow to get going. CNU pitcher Kate Alger held the Hornets hitless through the first three innings of Game 1 until Addison Walter led off the fourth with a bunt single to break up the no-hitter. Sophie Tully added a one-out single to mount a Lynchburg threat, but the Hornets were stopped there and still trailed 4-0 headed to the fourth.

The Captains added four more runs in the fourth, three coming around on a Kaitlyn Hasty home run, to take control of the game. Lynchburg managed to get a baserunner aboard in the fifth, but Alger induced a game-ending groundout to nail down CNU's fifth-straight shutout.

Lynchburg fared much better in the nightcap. Carly Hudnall led off the game with a bunt single, and two batters later, Kaleigh Hackett launched her first-career home run over the left-field fence for an early 2-0 Hornet lead. After the Captains got a run back in the bottom half, Gracie Dooley made it a two-run advantage for Lynchburg again with a leadoff home run in the second, the first of the junior's career.

Christopher Newport cut the lead to 3-2 with another single run in the bottom of the second, and Proctor spoiled Angela Sperandeo's lead with a solo shot to tie the game in the fifth, 3-3. Charlton entered for the final two outs of the fifth and dazzled the rest of the way, retiring eight of 10 batters she faced to move the game into extra innings.

Both teams managed to get the international tiebreak runs across in both the eighth and ninth innings to keep the game alive. Lynchburg looked to have the game won in the bottom of the ninth until a one-out infield single skittered away in the infield, allowing Brooke Childress to again score the tying run.

Alger re-entered to pitch the 10th for CNU and dodged a leadoff single, striking out the next two Hornets and inducing a groundout to end the inning. The Captains then won it in the bottom half when Roberts led off with an infield single and the next batter, Olivia Tullous, delivered a pinch-hit single to left that scored the winning run.

The Hornets (9-7) will remain on the road east, heading to Salisbury University for four games starting at 2 p.m. Friday against the No. 2-ranked Sea Gulls. Lynchburg will play Susquehanna and Marymount the following day, also in Salisbury, Md.

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--LYN--