SALEM, VA (WTKR)- Christopher Newport is just one win away from capping off an historic season with the ultimate prize.
A fifth-inning grand slam by Kaitlyn Hasty powered the Captains past Trine, 6-3, in game one of the NCAA Championship Series on Monday afternoon. CNU needs to win one of two games on Tuesday to claim the program's first national championship.
Caitlin Abernathy started the scoring in the bottom of the third with an RBI single to put Christopher Newport on top, 1-0, but Trine responded with two runs in the fourth to jump in front. It would remain that way until the fifth, when a bases loaded walk to Abernathy pushed the tying run across the plate. That set the stage for Hasty's heroics, who belted the 2-1 pitch over the left field fence for the grand slam.
Jamie Martin pitched five strong innings on the mound to grab the win. She improved to 21-1 on the year.
Christopher Newport and Trine will resume their series with game two on Tuesday at 11:00 AM. A Thunder victory would force a deciding game three to follow.
