The third-ranked Case Western Reserve University softball team's historic season came to an end on Friday during the second day of the 2023 NCAA Division III Softball Regional Championship at Mather Park in Cleveland, as the Spartans were eliminated with two losses to Hiram College and the University of Mount Union.
CWRU, which received the highest ranking in program history from the NFCA, finished the season with a record of 38-5. The Spartans tied a program record with their 38 wins and set a school record with 20 consecutive victories earlier in the season.
A highlight for the team was sophomore pitcher Lexi Miskey, who set single-season program records with 23 wins and 207 strikeouts. Miskey, senior infielder Amanda Riely, and senior outfielder Carli Tucci each earned NFCA All-Region VII First Team honors. CWRU, the University Athletic Association champions for the second consecutive season, also placed four team members on the All-UAA First Team, including Miskey, the Pitcher of the Year, and Riely, the Position Player of the Year. Junior infielder KaiLi Gross, who stole 32 bases without getting caught this season, and junior outfielder Kela Jagoda were also named to the First Team.
The third-seeded Terriers improved to 26-14 and will face the second-seeded Purple Raiders (38-10) in the regional final. Earlier in the day, Mount Union eliminated fourth-seeded Penn State Behrend with a 7-2 win. The Lions ended the season with a record of 25-14.
Across the two games, Miskey allowed six earned runs in 12 and two-third innings, while striking out 17 and walking 11. First-year catcher Anna Gobeyn totaled four hits on the day, including a career-best three-hit performance in the second game, and Gross had two hits in the loss to Hiram.
Game 3: Hiram 7, #3 CWRU 2
CWRU, playing as the visiting team, scored a run in the top of the first to lead 1-0. Gross led the game off with a double and later scored the first run of the contest on a sacrifice fly by Riely.
Hiram responded in the bottom half of the frame, tying the score on a double by Darian Kanno. After a scoreless second inning, Kanno gave the Terriers their first lead of the game with a two-out solo home run to make the score 2-1.
Tucci tied the score at two in the sixth inning, delivering a two-out single that plated Miskey. The sophomore was running for Gobeyn who kept the inning alive with a two-out double, the first CWRU since the first inning.
In the bottom of the inning, the Terriers scored five times to take a 7-2 advantage heading into the final frame, winning the game despite a Spartan hit in the last inning.
Game 5: Mount Union 3, #3 CWRU 2
After a scoreless first inning, Miskey struck out the side in the second inning, becoming the first Spartan in program history to record 200 strikeouts in a single season.
Gobeyn led off the bottom of the second inning with a hard single up the middle. Miskey, running for her, advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches, but was stranded there. In the third inning, Gross reached second base with a leadoff single and her 32nd stolen base of the season. Kendyll Cahill retired the next two hitters, but Tucci and Gobeyn delivered back-to-back two-out hits to put the Spartans ahead 2-0.
In the next inning, Mount Union responded, tying the score on a two-run home run by Adri George.
Two innings later, the Purple Raiders loaded the bases with one out. Miskey struck out the next batter, but Alexis Temple drew a walk to score the go-ahead run. The ninth strikeout for Miskey ended the threat, stranding the bases loaded heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.
Gobeyn led off the sixth with her third hit of the day, putting the tying run on base with no outs. She was replaced on the basepaths by first-year outfielder Brianna Landers, who advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt. Following a flyout, junior outfielder Stevie Rieger hit a sinking line drive to left field that needed a diving catch to end the inning.
Miskey worked around a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh inning, striking out the final batter of the inning with a runner on third to record 10 in the game. The Spartans were retired in order in the bottom half of the inning, ending their season with the loss. It was Miskey's sixth game of the season with at least 10 strikeouts and the 11th such game of her career.
