A day after clinching its third consecutive University Athletic Association Championship, the 10th-ranked Case Western Reserve University softball team lost 5-1 to Carnegie Mellon University on Senior Day on Sunday afternoon at Mather Park in Cleveland.
The Spartans fall to 31-6 on the season and end conference play with a 16-4 record. The Tartans end their season with an overall record of 16-18 and a 9-11 mark in the UAA, placing fourth. CWRU won the conference by one game over WashU, who ended with a 15-5 record in association contests.
CMU scored before the Spartans came to bat, plating a run in the first inning with a two-out single. The Tartans added a pair of runs in the second inning to increase their lead to three, taking advantage of a Spartan error in the frame.
Junior Isabella Russo led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a double, but she was stranded at second base as CWRU was unable to record a hit.
The following inning, the Spartans loaded the bases on two walks and an error. CMU recorded an out at home, but Case Western Reserve scored its first run on a groundout by Russo. Tartan pitcher Amanda Smith induced a flyout to end the inning, keeping the CWRU deficit at two.
Carnegie Mellon regained their three-run lead without the benefit of a hit, scoring on a sacrifice fly following a walk, hit batter, and sacrifice bunt. After a two-out walk, a single extended the Tartan lead to four.
The next half inning, senior Kaila Nutter crushed a leadoff double off the wall in left field. She was also stranded at second following three consecutive flyouts. The Spartans managed just a two-out walk in the final inning, falling at home for the first time all season.
Smith (11-4) earned the win in the circle for CMU, allowing one unearned run on three hits in seven innings. Senior Jenna Jaklich (0-1) took her first loss, allowing three runs, two of which were earned, on four hits in two innings. Junior Lexi Miskey pitched the final five innings, allowing two runs on one hit with three strikeouts.
Prior to the game as part of Senior Day, the team celebrated its eight graduating members: Savannah Gazda, KaiLi Gross, Kela Jagoda, Jaklich, Nutter, Jordon Manworren, Stevie Rieger, and Abbey Rzeszutko. All eight players started the game for Case Western Reserve.
With conference play concluded, CWRU will finish its season with three home non-conference contests, starting with a single game against the University of Mount Union on Sunday, May 5 at 1 p.m.
