SPRINGFIELD, OH - For the third consecutive doubleheader sweep, the Case Western Reserve softball team won a close first game and then jumped to a big lead and cruised to a second-game victory. The Spartans defeated Wittenberg University 5-4 and 20-0 (5 innings) to extend their winning streak to seven games.
Freshman outfielder Katie Wede (Carmel, IN/Carmel) went 4-for-4 with two runs scored, a double, home run, and three runs batted in to lead the Spartans to a the win in the first game.
Wede hit her second home run of the season in the fourth inning to give the Spartans a 3-0 lead. After the Tigers closed the lead to one run, 4-3, Wede hit a run-scoring double in the fifth inning to make it a two-run Spartan lead, her fourth hit of the game.
Senior Rebecca Taylor (Greensburg, PA/Greater Latrobe) scattered six hits and four runs, striking out eight in 5.1 innings, to earn the win and move to 5-0 this season. She also went 2-for-3 at the plate. Freshman Katie Dzierwa (Brookfield, IL/Lyons Township) pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief to earn her second save.
The Spartans jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning of the second game. Senior second baseman Molly O'Brien (Northbrook, IL/Loyola) led off with a home run, her third round-tripper of the season. Senior outfielder Ashley Parello (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) doubled in a run and Taylor capped the scoring in the inning with a grand slam, her first home run of the season.
The Spartans added 14 more runs in the third inning. Parello led off with her seventh home run of the year. Freshman Abi Groseclose (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) singled in Taylor, who reached on an error, and O'Brien followed with a two-run double to make it 10-0. Freshman Annie Wennerberg doubled in two more runs to extend her team-high RBI total to 35.
Freshman catcher Jodie Hurd (Gurnee, IL/Warren Township) and junior Erin Dreger (Alliance, OH/Alliance) each singled in runs and junior outfielder Meghann McMahon (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to plate the 15th CWRU run. Freshman Christine Scherer (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny Senior) singled in two more runs, and an error and two groundouts scored three more runs to make it 20-0.
Wennerberg tossed a six-hit shutout to earn the win. She and Parello each finished 2-for-2 with two runs batted in, and O'Brien went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three runs batted in.
The Spartans are now 16-5 this season and are set to host Westminster (Pa.) College in a doubleheader Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
