The sixth-ranked Case Western Reserve University softball team won 9-2 in the first game of a four-game weekend series with Emory University on a chilly Friday afternoon at Mather Park in Cleveland.
The Spartans, who extended their winning streak to 12 games, improved to 19-2 on the season and 5-0 in the University Athletic Association. The Eagles fell to 16-9 overall and 2-3 in UAA play.
Senior Stevie Rieger recorded multiple hits for the third straight contest, going two-for-three with two runs batted in, two stolen bases, and a run scored. Junior Katelyn Lamm drove in a pair of runs, and senior Kela Jagoda scored three of the team's runs in the contest.
However, the Eagles struck first in the game, scoring two runs before CWRU came to bat on a two-run home run off the bat of Ellie Zerr.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Spartans took a four-run lead, batting around to score six times in the frame. Rieger and first-year Alaina Steffes started off the inning with back-to-back singles and moved into scoring position following a sacrifice bunt. Junior Isabella Russo hit a ground ball back to the pitcher, and Rieger escaped a rundown to score the first run of the inning. Lamm put Case Western Reserve ahead with a two-run double and scored the fourth run on a pinch-hit double by senior Jordon Manworren.
Following an infield single off the bat of Jagoda, Manworren crossed the plate on an Emory throwing error. Senior KaiLi Gross drove in the final run of the stanza with a hit, extending her hitting streak to 15 games. Later in the inning, Gross stole second for her 76th career stolen base, matching the program career stolen base record set by Katie Wede in 2018.
Following the home run in the first inning, junior pitcher Lexi Miskey settled in, retiring the next 12 batters she faced across four innings. Overall, she allowed two runs on just one hit in five innings of work, striking out six during the game. Miskey earned the win in the circle to improve to 12-2 on the season.
Sophomore Devanghi Misra pitched the final two innings, allowing no runs on just one hit and recording a strikeout.
Rieger added a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-out two-run single to make the score 8-2 in favor of the hosts. Jagoda scored her third run of the game in the sixth inning, crossing the plate on a throwing error to increase the lead to seven.
For Emory, Mackenzie Duford took the loss to fall to 8-4 on the season after allowing seven earned runs in three and two-third innings.
The Spartans and Eagles will resume their series tomorrow with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.
