Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 The Case Western Reserve University softball team, ranked 11th in Division III, won both of its games on Sunday, opening competition at THE Spring Games with a 6-4 win over Ramapo and an 8-1 win over Ohio Northern in Winter Haven, Florida.
With the two wins, the Spartans have now won six-straight games to begin their season and stand at 6-0 overall.
Game 1 – CWRU 6, Ramapo 4
The Spartans were able to hold off an upset-minded Ramapo squad, capitalizing on a big third inning to defeat the Roadrunners 6-4 in the first game of the day.
CWRU first-year Elizabeth Berry and junior Stevie Rieger each had two of the Spartans' seven hits in the game, while sophomore Isabella Russo drove in two runs, and junior KaiLi Gross and first-year Anna Gobeyn each had a double and an RBI.
Ramapo got on the board in the top of the second on a two-out, two-run single. CWRU responded with a run in the bottom of the inning after senior Amanda Riely walked and scored a batter later on a double by Gobeyn. In the bottom of the third, the Spartans loaded the bases with nobody out on a single, a walk, and a fielder's choice and a double by Russo cleared the bases and gave CWRU a 4-2 advantage. Russo later scored on an error to extend the CWRU advantage to 5-2.
The Roadrunners scored in the top of the fourth to pull back within two runs, but back-to-back doubles by Rieger and Gross to start the bottom of the inning put CWRU back up by three, 6-3. Ramapo scored again in the fifth to cut the Spartans' lead to 6-4 and brought the tying run to the plate in both the sixth and seventh innings, but CWRU was able to hold onto the lead for the win.
Sophomore Lexi Miskey went the first four innings, allowing three runs (two earned) in four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts, and earned the win to improve to 3-0 on the season. Sophomore Kylie Hosey closed out the game with three solid innings, allowing a run on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts for her first save of the campaign.
Kassy Stefanski (2-1) suffered the loss in the start for Ramapo, which fell to 3-2 on the season with the setback.
Game 2 – CWRU 8, Ohio Northern 1
Miskey earned her second win of the day with four innings of one-hit pitching to lead the Spartans to an 8-1 win over Ohio Northern in the late contest on Sunday.
Miskey raised her season record to 4-0, allowing just one run on one hit while racking up seven strikeouts. Hosey pitched the final three scoreless frames, allowing a hit and a walk with two strikeouts for her second save of the day.
CWRU scored four runs with two outs in the second inning to take control of the game early. With Riely at third and two away in the frame, Berry connected on a run-scoring single to put the Spartans ahead 1-0. After a single by first-year Brianna Landers, junior Kela Jagoda tripled to score two runs and then crossed the plate on an error to give CWRU a 4-0 advantage.
Ohio Northern cut the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the third, but the Spartans got the run back on a triple to leadoff the fifth by Gross and a sacrifice fly by Rieger. CWRU scored three more in the sixth on RBI hits from Rieger, Russo, and sophomore Katelyn Lamm.
Riely finished the second game three-for-three with two doubles, a walk, and a run scored. Russo and Gross each had a pair of hits, including a triple, and Jagoda and Rieger each drove in a pair of runs.
Ohio Northern fell to 1-1 on the year, while starting pitcher Allie Bican suffered the loss to drop to 0-1 on the campaign.
The Spartans will continue play at THE Spring Games tomorrow, facing Salve Regina at 11:30 a.m. and 20th-ranked Babson at 2:00 p.m.
