The seventh-ranked Case Western Reserve University softball team saw its 2024 season come to a close after midnight on Saturday morning with a late-night 4-2 loss to 13th-ranked Rowan University at the NCAA DIII Softball Championship at Bell Park at Taylor Field in Marshall, Texas.

CWRU ended its season with a 40-9 overall record while Rowan improved to 40-9 with the win, and will face fourth-seeded and 16th-ranked Wisconsin-Oshkosh (45-6) in another elimination game on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Friday's elimination game featured a matchup of NFCA All-America Second Team selections in the circle between junior Lexi Miskey for the Spartans and Emily McCutcheon for the Profs. Despite suffering the loss to end her season with a 26-6 record, Miskey was dominant for most of the game, allowing just two hits in her five innings of work while striking out 10 and walking five. However, a four-run bottom of the fifth inning proved to be the difference maker for the Profs

CWRU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a solo home run by junior catcher Katelyn Lamm. With one out and the bases empty, Lamm pulled a 1-2 pitch to left field, sending a laser shot over the wall for her fourth home run of the campaign and second of the postseason.

Meanwhile, Miskey struck out the first four batters she faced and did not allow a hit until the fifth. In the bottom of the third, Rowan opened the frame with back-to-back walks and put two runners in scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, but Miskey struck out a batter and induced a pop up to third base to end the threat and preserve the one-run lead.

The Spartans had a chance to add to their lead but left the bases loaded in the top of the fifth and Rowan finally got on the board in the bottom of the inning. The first four batters of the frame reached for the Profs without the benefit of a hit, and the squad scored the game-tying run on a bases-loaded walk. Miskey retired the next two batters with a strikeout and a pop out, but a wild pitch scored the go-ahead run for the Profs, and a two-out single brought across two more runs to extend its lead to 4-1.

CWRU got a run back in the top of the sixth on a two-out RBI single by sophomore Elizabeth Berry and senior Jenna Jaklich pitched a scoreless bottom of the inning to give the Spartans a chance in the seventh. Senior Jordon Manworren led the inning off with a single and a one-out error allowed first-year Karen Potts to reach, representing the potential game-tying run, but a double play ended the Spartans' threat and their season.

The Spartans outhit the Profs 7-3 in the loss, including two hits apiece for senior KaiLi Gross and Manworren.

Rowan's Rachel Lutz earned the win in relief, improving to 20-7 for the season.

Friday's game marked the end of the 2024 season for the Spartans. It was a historic campaign for the team, which eclipsed 40 wins for the first time in program history, won its third-straight University Athletic Association Championship and seventh overall, made the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time, and reached the NCAA Finals for the second time.