The seventh-ranked Case Western Reserve University softball team set a single-season program record with its 12th consecutive victory following a two-game sweep on Thursday at the DiamondPlex in Winter Haven, Florida, defeating Westminster (Pa.) College 4-3 and Hood College 8-1.
The Spartans improved to 12-0 with the two wins, while the Titans dropped to 5-2 and the Blazers fell to 5-7. With the sweep, CWRU set a new single-season program record with 12 wins in a row, breaking the previous record of 11 straight victories last set during the 2015 season, and tied the overall school mark for consecutive wins. In 2013, the Spartan softball team won its final 11 games of the season and followed with a win in the 2014 season opener for a 12-game winning streak across two seasons.
Senior infielder Amanda Riely fell a double shy of the cycle in the first game, going three-for-three with a home run, triple, three runs batted in, and two runs scored. First-year catcher Anna Gobeyn collected three runs batted in across the two games, including her first career home run in the second contest.
No. 7 CWRU 4, Westminster (Pa.) 3
After three scoreless innings, the Spartans broke the tie with a two-run fourth. Riely drove home senior outfielder Carli Tucci with her first career triple for the first run of the inning. The senior scored on an infield single by Gobeyn to double the CWRU lead.
The Titans were limited to just one baserunner in the first four innings by sophomore pitcher Lexi Miskey. However, in the bottom of the fifth inning, two Westminster batters reached base with just one out. Miskey worked out of trouble to keep the Titans off the board.
The following half inning, Case Western Reserve would add two more runs on a home run by Riely to make the score 4-0, her second homer of the season.
Westminster would respond in the bottom half of the frame, cutting the deficit to just one with a two-out three-run home run by Mackenzie Latess. However, Miskey retired the next four batters to secure the win for CWRU. The sophomore (7-0) struck out nine in seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk. It was her fifth complete game and fourth game with at least nine strikeouts this season.
Elizabeth Malczak (2-1) suffered the loss for Westminster in relief, allowing four runs on three hits.
No. 7 CWRU 8, Hood 1
CWRU scored six runs in the third inning and never looked back to win its 12th consecutive contest.
In the top of the third inning, Jocelyn Pfleiger hit a two-out homer to give the Blazers a short-lived lead. The Spartans took advantage of a Hood passed ball and error to tie the game at one in the bottom of the inning. Junior infielder KaiLi Gross then added a run with a double, driving in junior outfielder Kela Jagoda to put CWRU ahead. Gross finished the game two-for-three at the plate on two doubles with a run scored, run batted in, and stolen base.
After a pitching change, sophomore infielder Isabella Russo singled to put runners on the corners with no outs. Case Western Reserve executed a double steal, with Gross scoring and Russo advancing to second. Riely drove in Russo with a double, and Gobeyn followed with a home run, the first of her career, giving CWRU a 6-1 lead. Tucci added two more runs in the fifth inning with a home run to complete the scoring, driving in Russo who doubled to start the frame.
Sophomore pitcher Kylie Hosey retired 10 batters in a row after allowing the home run, completing six innings with five strikeouts to improve to 5-0 on the season. She allowed just two hits and a walk. Junior hurler Jenna Jaklich recorded a perfect seventh inning to close the win, registering a strikeout.
Rebecca Gottlieb (2-3) took the loss in relief, allowing three earned runs on four hits in two innings.
Eight of the nine Spartans in the starting lineup recorded a hit in the contest, with the team recording 11 in the game. Gross and Russo each had two hits, with Tucci and Gobeyn collecting two runs batted in each.
The softball team will wrap up its spring break trip tomorrow, facing Hope College at 9 a.m. and the University of Wisconsin Stout at 11:30 a.m.
