Box Score The eighth-ranked Case Western Reserve University softball team won its eighth straight game on Sunday afternoon at Mather Park in Cleveland, defeating Brandeis University 8-0 in five innings.
The Spartans improved to 23-2 with the win and 9-2 in University Athletic Association play, leading the conference by three and a half games over Brandeis and NYU with eight games remaining. The Judges fell to 11-8 overall and 6-6 in conference games.
It was the third consecutive shutout for CWRU, and the Spartan pitching staff has not allowed a run over its last 21 innings. Sophomore pitcher Lexi Miskey (15-0) started the game with six consecutive strikeouts. She completed three innings, allowing just one hit and no walks while totaling eight strikeouts. Sophomore pitcher Kylie Hosey completed the game with two shutout innings, striking out one batter and allowing two hits.
Five Spartans had multi-hit games, including a three-hit performance by first-year infielder Elizabeth Berry. Junior infielder KaiLi Gross, junior outfielder Kela Jagoda, senior infielder Amanda Riely, and senior outfielder Carli Tucci all collected two hits in the contest as Case Western Reserve totaled 13 on the afternoon. Gross, Jagoda, and first-year outfielder Brianna Landers each drove in two runs.
After a scoreless first inning, the Spartans scored five times in the second to open a 5-0 advantage. With the bases loaded and no one out, Landers walked to force in the first run. Following an out on interference, Gross drove in the second run with a single. Landers then scored on a wild pitch, and a Jagoda two-run triple put the hosts ahead by five.
In the third inning, Landers drove in her second run of the day with a single through the left side. She eventually scored via a throwing error on a stolen base by junior outfielder Stevie Rieger. A single by Gross in the fifth inning drove in the eighth run of the game for CWRU, prompting the end of the contest due to the eight-run rule.
The Spartans will take their winning streak to the Pittsburgh area next weekend, facing archrival Carnegie Mellon University for a four-game series starting on Friday. First pitch from UPMC All-American Ballpark in Trafford, Pennsylvania, is scheduled for 3 p.m.
