The 10th-ranked Case Western Reserve University softball team defeated Carnegie Mellon University 6-1 on Friday afternoon in the first game of a four-game series at Mather Park in Cleveland.
With the win, Spartans improved to 29-5 on the season and 14-3 in University Athletic Association contests. CWRU remained in first place in the conference, leading WashU by at least one game with three conference contests left on the schedule. The Tartans dropped to 15-16 overall and 8-9 in the UAA.
In the circle, junior pitcher Lexi Miskey struck out a season-high 12 batters in six innings, allowing just one earned run on three hits. She improved to 17-3 on the season, increased her season strikeout total to 156 and her career strikeout total 522, nine fewer than the program record of 531. At the plate, seniors Stevie Rieger and Kaila Nutter each drove in two runs with two-run homers.
The Tartans opened the scoring in the top of the third inning, plating a run with two-out single. With two runners in scoring position, Miskey struck out the next batter on three pitches to end the threat.
With one out in the bottom of the frame, Riger gave the Spartans the lead with her fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot crushed to left center field. Later in the inning, Nutter, entering the game as a pinch hitter, slugged her first career home run to make the score 4-1.
After a scoreless fourth inning, both teams put two runners on in the fifth inning with one out. Miskey induced a strikeout and a lineout to keep the Tartans off the board, and, in the bottom half, CMU pitcher Amanda Smith recorded back-to-back strikeouts to escape without allowing a run.
CWRU scored a pair of insurance runs in the sixth inning, taking advantage of Carnegie Mellon miscues to extend the lead. Following two errors and a sacrifice bunt, a run scored on a wild pitch. Senior KaiLi Gross then drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-1.
Senior Jenna Jaklich pitched a perfect seventh inning, including a strikeout to wrap up the win.
The Spartans and Tartans will resume their series with a doubleheader tomorrow, scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. With two wins, Case Western Reserve will secure at least a share of the UAA championship for the third consecutive season.
