The 11th-ranked Case Western Reserve University softball team continued its terrific start to the 2023 season, sweeping two games on Monday at the DiamondPlex in Winter Haven, Florida, as part of The Spring Games. CWRU defeated Salve Regina University 12-7 to start the day and came from behind to beat 20th-ranked Babson College 3-2 in eight innings in the second contest.

With the two wins, the Spartans improved to 8-0 on the season. The Seahawks dropped to 0-6, and the Beavers fell to 6-6.

With the victory in the first game, Head Coach Josie Henry reached the 300 win mark for her career. During her 13 seasons, Henry's teams have so far compiled a record of 301-165 (.646), the most wins in program history for a single head coach. CWRU has recorded a winning record in every season since 2011, Henry's first with the program.

Across the two games, junior infielder KaiLi Gross went four-for-nine with two doubles and a triple, scoring three runs and driving in four. Case Western Reserve's two seniors, infielder Amanda Riely and outfielder Carli Tucci, combined to go seven-for-12 at the plate with four runs and three runs driven in during the two games.

No. 11 CWRU 12, Salve Regina 7

After Gross scored on a single by sophomore infielder Isabella Russo in the first inning, the Spartans put up multiple runs in each of the next three frames to lead 11-2. In a three-run second inning, Gross and junior outfielder Kela Jagoda each delivered run-scoring hits, and junior outfielder Stevie Rieger contributed a groundout that plated Gross. Tucci led off the third inning with a home run, her second of the season, and Jagoda and Gross drove in a pair of runs with a double and a triple. First-year outfielder Tara Fritscher added a run with a groundout to make the score 9-0 in favor of CWRU.

The Seahawks scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning without a hit. The following inning, the Spartans rebuilt their nine-run lead with two runs of their own, including Gross's fourth RBI of the game.

A five-run fourth inning, with all five runs unearned, prompted sophomore pitcher Kylie Hosey to reenter the circle for Case Western Reserve after departing following the first two stanzas. She did not allow a hit over the final three frames while striking out five batters. Hosey improved to 3-0 on the season, allowing no runs on four hits and a walk in five and a third innings while striking out seven. She lowered her earned run average on the season to 1.38.

In the win, Gross and Jagoda combined for five runs scored and seven runs batted in, with Jagoda matching a career-high with three RBI.

Game 2: No. 11 CWRU 3, No. 20 Babson 2 (8 inn.)

With the international tiebreaker rule in place for the extra frame of the second game, the Spartans started the bottom of the eighth inning with an automatic runner on second and the game tied at 2. Riely executed a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third base, and Tucci hit a deep enough fly ball to center field to score the winning run on a walk-off sacrifice fly.

In the top of the frame, sophomore pitcher Lexi Miskey preserved the tie, inducing a pair of pop ups after the leadoff batter moved the automatic runner to third base with a sacrifice bunt. Miskey earned the win in a complete game effort, improving to 5-0 on the season. She allowed just two runs on five hits and three walks in eight innings, striking out seven batters to increase her season total to 41 and her career total to 200.

CWRU scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning without the benefit of a hit. Tucci walked to lead off the inning, reached second on a wild pitch, and advanced to third on a groundout. She scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of first-year infielder Elizabeth Berry, her third run batted in of the season.   

In the top of the sixth inning, the Beavers took the lead with a pair of two-out hits. Athena Hadjipanayis delivered a run-scoring single, and she scored on a double by Sophia Pak to put Babson ahead 2-1. Miskey prevented further damage with her seventh strikeout of the game to end the threat.

In the bottom half of the inning, Riely tied the score at 2 with a one-out home run, her first of the season and the fourth of her career. It was her third hit of the game, tying a career high.

Tucci and first-year catcher Anna Gobeyn followed with back-to-back singles, and the Spartans moved two runners into scoring position following a groundout. Natasha Taubenheim, who had entered the game earlier in the inning, recorded the final out to keep the score tied. Both teams had a runner reach second base in the seventh inning, but neither side could plate the go-ahead or winning run, forcing extra innings.

Taubenheim picked up the loss in relief, falling to 1-1 despite allowing one unearned run in two and one third innings. Nicole Sesito started the game for Babson, allowing two earned runs on six hits in five and one third innings. Neither pitcher recorded a strikeout.

CWRU continues its spring break trip on Tuesday with a pair of games, facing SUNY Geneseo at 9 a.m. and Endicott at 11:30 a.m.