NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — No. 3 Christopher Newport University took both games of a non-conference doubleheader against Averett University softball on Tuesday. The Cougars lost the opener 5-4 on another walk-off winner before falling 5-2 in the nightcap to the nationally ranked Captains.

In the opener, the Christopher Newport (9-3) squeaked out a 5-4 walk-off win on Maddie Hool's two-out single up the middle, which scored Sarah Proctor from second base.

Averett (0-6) battled back from a 4-1 deficit to tie it 4-4 on senior Kaitlyn Aherron's three-run homer to left field in the top of the fifth inning.

CNU led 1-0 following a first-inning sacrifice fly before the Cougars tied it on sophomore Lauren Nelson's RBI single down the right field line in the second inning. The Captains reclaimed the lead in the third on an RBI single, and extended their lead to 4-1 in the fourth thanks to a two-out error that allowed two runs to score.

Nelson finished with two of Averett's four hits, while Aherron and junior Hannah Thompson had the other two. Freshman Briana Battinelli (0-1) took the loss in the circle despite a strong effort in relief. She allowed just one earned run in 4.2 innings.

In Game 2, the Captains went in front 1-0 on an RBI groundout in the second inning. Averett, however, tied it 1-1 in the fourth inning on junior Kourtnie Blankenship's single through the left side, scoring junior Anna Coleman, who had led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch.

CNU answered in the bottom half of the frame with an RBI double and RBI single to go back in the lead, 3-1. The Cougars got one of those runs back to pull within 3-2 in the top of the fifth on another RBI single from Blankenship.

The Captains added insurance runs with a solo homer in the fifth and another run in the sixth.

Blankenship finished with two of Averett's five hits. Aherron, Coleman and Thompson had the other hits.

Averett hosts Methodist University for a conference doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. on Cougar Field.