Junior pitcher Lexi Miskey set the program record for career wins and recorded the 500th strikeout of her career, leading the 10th-ranked Case Western Reserve University softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Brandeis University on Friday at Marcus Field in Waltham, Massachusetts. CWRU won the first game 6-2 and triumphed 14-3 in the second contest.

The Spartans improved to 26-5 on the season and 11-3 in University Athletic Association play, opening a one-game lead on second place WashU (9-3, idle on Friday) in the league standings. The Judges fell to 13-16 overall and 5-9 in the UAA.

Miskey earned her 54th career win, breaking a tie with former Spartan Annie Wennerberg, following her performance in the first game of the doubleheader to set the program record. She also became the second player in program history to strike out 500 batters, achieving the feat with her sixth strikeout of the day. The milestone strikeout occurred in the fourth inning, the last of three in the frame.

For her career, Miskey is 54-12 with 500 strikeouts and a 1.55 earned run average. Former Spartan Ruth Sagartz owns the program record for career strikeouts with 531. This season, Miskey is 15-3 with 134 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.90. On Friday, she pitched four shutout innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out six.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Spartans set a single-game program record with 20 hits, besting the previous record of 19 that was set four times, most recently on March 20, 2021, against Kenyon. Sophomore Elizabeth Berry matched the program record with five hits in five at-bats, equaling the record set by Lindsey Robinson on March 20, 2016, against Ohio Northern. Berry totaled seven hits across the two games, and first-year Karen Potts had six base hits on the day, including two home runs and two doubles.

Game 1: #10 CWRU 6, Brandeis 2

Potts broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third inning with a two-run home run over the wall in center field, her third of the season and first on the day.

The following inning, first-year Nylah Durham added to the lead, delivering a two-out double. Junior Isabella Russo, who singled earlier in the frame, scored on the play.

In the bottom half, Miskey struck out the side to earn the 500th strikeout of her career, but not before Brandeis loaded the bases. Following a leadoff groundout, Miskey induced a swinging strikeout. However, the batter advanced to first base on a wild pitch. The next Judge batter struck out, but the Spartan hurler hit the next player to face her to load the bases. Miskey retired the next batter looking to escape the jam, keep the Judges off the scoreboard, and reach the career milestone.

Singles by senior KaiLi Gross and first-year Alaina Steffes in the top of the fifth inning put two runners on base with two outs for Berry. She hit a single up the middle, scoring Gross. Russo followed with a two-run single of her own, making the score 6-0 in favor of the Spartans.

The first two batters in the bottom of the fifth inning reached base on a walk and single. Sophomore Devanghi Misra, who came on in relief to start the frame, worked out of danger with a pop out, strikeout, and groundout to maintain the six-run advantage.

However, Brandeis scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs to cut into the deficit. Misra induced a groundout to end the contest and earn her first career save. She allowed two runs on four hits in three innings with a strikeout.

Four Spartans recorded two hits in the first game of the doubleheader: Potts, Gross, Berry, and Russo. It was the 13th multi-hit game of the season for Potts, ninth for Gross and Berry, and fifth for Russo. Potts and Russo each drove in two runs, while Gross added two walks.

Game 2: #10 CWRU 14, Brandeis 3

The 14 runs scored in the game by the CWRU offense tied a season high. Berry (five hits), Potts (four hits), senior Stevie Rieger (three hits), and junior Katelyn Lamm (two hits) all recorded multiple hits in the game. All nine players in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit, and, of the 20 hits, seven were doubles, the second most in a single game in program history.

Potts used her speed to manufacture a run in the first inning. She singled to start the frame, stole second base, advanced to third and scored on a pair of groundouts.

Brandeis tied the score in the second inning with a two-out single and loaded the bases with a walk by the next batter. Junior pitcher Kylie Hosey kept the game deadlocked with a groundout to end the inning.

Berry started the fourth inning with a double and scored on a single by Lamm to give the Spartans the lead. Potts later drove in a run with a double, Gross followed with a two-run double, and a double by Rieger gave Case Western Reserve a 6-1 lead.

The Judges cut the deficit to three with two runs in the fifth inning, though one was unearned. The Spartans added three runs in the following frame to make the score 9-3 on run-scoring singles by Rieger and Berry and a run-scoring groundout from Russo.

The team added five runs in the final frame on a solo home run by Potts and run-scoring hits by Steffes, Berry, and first-year Kaelyn Zusi. Durham, who doubled to start the inning, crossed the plate on a groundout.

After two quick outs to start the bottom of the seventh, Brandeis earned a walk before the game was called due to darkness.

Hosey earned the win in the circle to improve to 11-2 on the season, allowing just two earned runs in five innings with three strikeouts. Senior Jenna Jaklich finished the contest, pitching one and two-third scoreless, hitless innings.

The Spartans and Judges are scheduled to resume their four-game series on Saturday with a single game slated to begin at 3 p.m. Due to potential inclement weather in the Greater Boston area, fans are encouraged to check the CWRU Softball Schedule page for any updates.