Behind four home runs in each contest, the Case Western Reserve University softball team swept a doubleheader with Emory University at Mather Park in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday afternoon, winning the first game 11-2 and the second 9-1. Both games lasted five innings due to the run rule.

The Spartans improve to 16-8 overall and 8-2 in the University Athletic Association. CWRU will hold at least a one and one-half game lead in the UAA standings at the end of the day. The Eagles fall to 15-14 and 4-7 in conference games. The 11 runs are the most by Case Western Reserve since the team scored 12 in the 2021 season finale in a 12-4 win over Wooster. Four home runs are tied for the second-most in a single game in program history.

Sophomore infielder/pitcher KaiLi Gross, sophomore outfielder Stevie Rieger, and senior infielder Liv Thomas all had two home runs on the day, slugging one in each contest. Thomas drove in five of the 20 Spartan runs. In the first game, sophomore catcher Jordon Manworren swiped a career-high three bases.

Game 1: CWRU 11, Emory 2 (5 inn.)

Thomas opened the scoring for Case Western Reserve in the bottom of the first inning, hitting a two-out three-run home run to right field. The Spartans continued the rally with a walk from first-year outfielder Isabella Russo and a single from senior infielder Grace Yeung. Russo, who reached third on the hit, scored on a throwing error, putting CWRU ahead 4-0.

In the next inning, Case Western Reserve hit back-to-back home runs to open a six-run advantage. With one out, Gross hit a solo home run to dead center field, and Rieger followed with a solo home run of her own, the first of her career. Later in the inning, the Spartans added another run on a single by junior infielder Amanda Riely to lead 7-0 through two frames.

After retiring the first seven Emory batters, first-year pitcher Kylie Hosey finally surrendered a hit in the third inning. She worked around the baserunner to keep the Eagles off the board. Hosey (8-5) ended the game with four strikeouts in four innings, allowing no runs on just one hit and no walks. Sophomore pitcher Savannah Gazda finished the game in the circle, striking out one batter in one inning.

Gross added a run with a single to left field in the third inning, scoring sophomore infielder Kaila Nutter. In the fourth inning, CWRU added three more runs to set a new season high. Two of those runs scored on Yeung's second homer of the season, and one scored on a single by Nutter.

Case Western Reserve totaled nine steals in the contest, the third-most in a single game in program history.

Game 2: CWRU 9, Emory 1 (5 inn.)

Gross and Rieger led off the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back home runs, giving the Spartans an early 2-0 lead. For Gross, it was her fourth homer of the season and third straight contest with a home run. With two outs, Thomas hit her 22nd career home run to give CWRU a 3-0 lead. Her 22 homers are tied for fourth most in program history.

Emory responded with a run in the second inning on a double to make the score 3-1. Thomas drove in another run with a single in the third inning. Russo followed with a three-run homer, her second of the season, to put the Spartans ahead 7-1. CWRU added another run on a single by junior outfielder Carli Tucci, who also delivered the game-ending hit in the fifth inning. Tucci had a career-best three hits in the game.

Gross, Yeung, and Tucci all doubled in the contest, with Russo driving in a career-best three runs. First-year pitcher Lexi Miskey (8-3) pitched all five innings, giving up one run on four hits and a walk. She struck out nine batters in the game and has 19 strikeouts in the series.  

The Spartans and Eagles will conclude their four-game series on Sunday at Mather Park with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.