Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 The Case Western Reserve University softball team split a doubleheader at NCAA Division II Malone University in Canton, Ohio on Tuesday afternoon. The Pioneers came away with the victory in the early contest, 5-1, but the Spartans rallied back in the second game of the doubleheader to win 7-5.
With the split, CWRU now has an overall record of 22-8, while Malone moved to 22-9-1 overall on the season.
Game 1: Malone 5, CWRU 1
Malone claimed the early lead in the first game of the day, as Lexi Betz hit a three-run home run to give the Pioneers a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.
The Spartans cut the deficit to 3-1 in the top of the fifth when first-year Kela Jagoda hit a triple to right center field that scored senior Sydney Wagner. However, Malone was able to score two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Pioneers' pitching held the CWRU offense scoreless in the final two innings, as they secured the 5-1 victory.
Senior Sidney Brannam took the loss for CWRU, falling to 17-3 on the year. Jagoda and senior Arisa Cleaveland led the Spartans at the plate in the first game as each collected two hits.
Kelsey Byers earned the win for Malone as she improved to 20-6 on the season.
Game 2: CWRU 7, Malone 5
Case Western Reserve University senior Sarah Miller led the Spartans at the plate with a three-for-four performance in which she scored three runs and drove in a run on a solo home run.
The Spartans jumped out to the early lead in the second game of the day, as senior Dusstyn Reynolds hit a single to left field that scored senior Miller. However, the Pioneers answered in the following half inning as Betz hit her second three-run homer of the day to give Malone a 3-1 lead after one inning of play.
CWRU's offense came alive in the top of the third as they scored four runs in the inning to take a 5-3 lead. Included in the inning was a RBI groundout from Cleaveland and a RBI single from junior Liv Thomas. Malone scored a run in the bottom of the third to cut the Spartan lead to 5-4.
Miller then launched her team-leading 14th home run of the season, a solo shot, over the left field fence in the top of the fourth to push the CWRU advantage to 6-4. The Pioneers scored a run in the bottom of the fourth and then the Spartans added an insurance run in the top of fifth to secure the 7-5 victory.
Reynolds went three-for-four at the plate with one RBI, while Thomas went one-for-three with one run batted in.
Brannam went the distance in the second game, allowing five earned runs on 13 hits, while striking out seven batters. She improved to 18-3 on the season with the victory. Jensen Miller suffered the loss for the Pioneers as she fell to 2-1 on the season.
Case Western Reserve will return to action this weekend as they begin a long homestand by welcoming Hiram College to Mather Park for doubleheader on Friday, April 30th. The first game of the doubleheader is slated to start at 3:30 p.m.
