ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Proving Tuesday's upset of nationally-ranked Washington University-St. Louis was no fluke, the Case Western Reserve University softball team did it again, defeating the No. 21-ranked Bears, 7-5, on Friday afternoon at the University Athletic Association Championship at Seminole Field. In the second game of the day, Case fell to No. 2 Emory University (Ga.), 7-3.

The Spartans move to 6-5 overall and 3-3 in the UAA heading into their final two games in Florida tomorrow afternoon.

Versus Wash. U. (9-3, 3-2 UAA), the Spartans built a 4-0 lead with a run in the first inning and three more in the second. Senior first baseman Lauren Wolz (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) singled home sophomore middle infielder Makenzie Lein (Petersburg, Mich./Ida) to open the scoring in the first, and Lein provided a two-run single to highlight the second. The Bears got back into the game with three in their half of the second as Kelsey Neal belted a three-run homer to center, but Case added two to the scoreboard in the sixth as Lein hit an RBI double and came around to score on an error.

Wash. U. once again made things interesting in the bottom of the sixth when Neal hit another homer – this time a two-run shot – to bring the score to 6-5. However, the Spartans put the game away in the top of the seventh as sophomore outfielder Katherine Seo (Salt Lake City, Utah/Olympus) drove home freshman centerfielder Lizzy Kolar (Morgantown, W. Va./University) with a single to make the score 7-5.

For the game, freshman middle infielder Molly O'Brien (Northbrook, Ill./Loyola) was 3-for 4 with a walk, a run batted-in and a run scored. Lein was 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBI, while Wolz and freshman outfielder Gena Roberts (Miami, Fla./Palmer-Trinity) were each 2-for-4.

Overall, the Spartans pounded out 13 base-hits and did not commit an error in the contest.

On the mound, freshman pitcher Rebecca Taylor (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) gutted her way through seven innings and struck out seven while walking a pair. 

Neal led the Bears at the plate with five RBI, but was saddled with the loss on the mound, surrendering four runs in 1.1 innings pitched.

Versus Emory (22-3, 5-2 UAA), the Spartans tied the score at one in the second inning as Wolz belted her first homerun of the season – adding to her school career record total (21). However, Emory opened the game up with four runs in the third as Brooke Healey provided a two-run double. The Eagles added two more in the fifth on a Jessica Boni homer, and Case could only manage two scores in the sixth with RBI singles from freshman pitcher Christina Hunger (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) and senior third baseman Kaeleen Boden (Strongsville, Ohio/Holy Name).

Taylor took the loss on the mound, allowing four earned runs in three innings. Hunger pitched the final four.

Emory's Bridget Holloway (11-1) threw all seven and struck out six.

The Spartans close out competition at the UAA Championship versus Brandeis University (Mass.) at 10:00 a.m. and the University of Rochester (N.Y.) at 12:30 p.m.