Behind a record-setting day from junior pitcher Lexi Miskey and a career day from senior infielder KaiLi Gross, the seventh-ranked Case Western Reserve University softball team swept a non-conference doubleheader with the University of Chicago to conclude regular season on Saturday afternoon at Mather Park in Cleveland. CWRU won the first game 4-2 and took the second contest 8-4.
With the sweep, the Spartans ended the regular season with a record of 34-6. The Maroons concluded their campaign at 25-10.
With her second strikeout in the first game of the doubleheader, Miskey became the program's leader in career strikeouts with 522. She surpassed former Spartan Ruth Sagartz who held the record of 521 since 2009. This season, Miskey has struck out 178 batters in 134 and one-third innings. In 2023, she recorded a single-season program record 207 punchouts, and in 2022, she retired 159 batters by strikeout in 138 innings.
In addition, Miskey matched her own single-game program record with 14 strikeouts in the contest, the most for any Spartan in a seven-inning game. She threw a complete game, allowing two runs on six hits and no walks.
Gross drove in six runs in the second game, one shy of tying the single-game program record and went three-for-four in the first contest. She also tied the CWRU record with her ninth career sacrifice fly. First-year Karen Potts had two hits in both contests, and sophomore Elizabeth Berry drove in a pair of runs in game one.
Game 1: #7 CWRU 4, Chicago 2
Potts and Gross led off the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back hits. A groundout by Berry plated the first run of the contest for the Spartans.
The Maroons responded in the next frame with Laila Sims hitting a home run to tie the score at one.
Two innings later, Case Western Reserve struck for three runs to take the lead. With runners on first and second, Berry bunted the ball past the pitcher, allowing the lead runner to score to give the hosts a 2-1 advantage. Two batters later, senior Kaila Nutter walked with the bases loaded to force in another run. A sacrifice fly by junior Katelyn Lamm extended the lead to three.
After allowing the leadoff runner to reach third base in the fourth inning, Miskey struck out the side to maintain a three-run lead. The Maroons cut into the deficit in the fifth, scoring on a first and third play, but two more Miskey strikeouts limited the damage. In the final frame, with the tying run at the plate, the Spartan hurler recorded her 14th and final punch out of the day to seal the victory.
Game 2: #7 CWRU 8, Chicago 2
Gross drove in her first two runs of the game with a home run in the bottom of the first inning, her team-leading eighth of the season and the 22nd of her career, moving her into a tie for fifth place in program history. Her six runs batted in were the most for a Spartan since Grace Yeung drove in six runs on April 23, 2022. This season, Gross leads the team with 53 runs batted in, the second most in one year in program history.
After a fielding error brought the Maroons within one, Gross extended the lead with a sacrifice fly, scoring first-year outfielder Nylah Durham. The Spartans scored five times in the fourth inning to increase their lead to seven, including three on a double by Gross. Durham also brought in a run after being hit by a pitch, and Potts drove in a run with a ground ball.
The Maroons scored twice in the fifth inning and once in the sixth, but their comeback bid fell short in the final frame.
Junior Kylie Hosey (13-1) earned the win in the circle, allowing one run on two hits while striking out a season high five batters. Senior Jenna Jaklich pitched the final three innings to earn her first save of the season, allowing one run on three hits with two strikeouts.
The Spartans, who secured the University Athletic Association's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship with their third consecutive conference title, will learn their regional location and opponents on Monday, May 13 at 11 a.m. during a selection show on ncaa.com. The double-elimination Regional Round of the NCAA Tournament begins on Thursday, May 16 and concludes on Saturday, May 18.
