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Case Western Reserve University Athletics
Case Western Reserve University Athletics

Scoreboard

Natalie Ching after a swing against Muskingum in the NCAA Regional at Swarthmore
8
Swarthmore SWARTHMO 34-9
9
Winner Case Western Reserve CASE WES 29-12
Swarthmore SWARTHMO
34-9
8
Final
9
Case Western Reserve CASE WES
29-12
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Swarthmore SWARTHMO 0 1 0 0 3 4 0 8 10 1
Case Western Reserve CASE WES 3 1 0 1 2 0 2 9 12 0

W: Mclelland, Camryn (11-4) L: Lane Barron (11-5)

Game Recap: Softball |

Spartans Advance to NCAA Regional Final with Walk-off Win Over No. 14 Swarthmore

First-year infielder Natalie Ching delivered a two-out, two-strike, two-run single to help the Case Western Reserve University softball team walk off 14th-ranked Swarthmore College 9-8 and advance to the final of the 2026 NCAA Division III Softball Championship Regional in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, at Clothier Softball Field on Friday.

The second-seeded Spartans improved to 29-12 this season and will play a team to be determined at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The top-seeded Garnet fell to 34-9 and will face either Messiah or Muskingum in an elimination game later today.

Junior infielder Kaelyn Zusi led off the bottom of the inning with a single. A sacrifice bunt and a groundout moved the tying run to third base with two outs in the frame. Junior outfielder Nylah Durham was hit by a pitch and stole second base to put the winning run in scoring position, and a walk of junior infielder Karen Potts loaded the bases for Ching. After falling behind 0-2 in the count, she hit a line drive that bounced off the glove of the second baseman into center field. The tying run scored, and Durham slid in ahead of a throw home to send the Spartans to the regional final.

Stats and Standouts

  • Potts finished the game with two hits, including a double, scored once, drove in a run, and stole a base
  • First-year pitcher/outfielder Camryn Mclelland (11-4) earned the win in the circle, allowing four runs in six innings while striking out five. At the plate, she had two hits, including a home run, driving in two runs and scoring once
  • Sophomore outfielder Ashley Miller went two-for-three with a pair of doubles, scoring a run and laying down a sacrifice bunt
  • Sophomore infielder Kate Coonan added a single, a double, and two runs scored, and Durham also drove in a pair of runs for CWRU
  • All nine of the team's runs in the game scored with two outs

Game Summary

  • After a scoreless top of the first inning, Potts singled to lead off the bottom of the frame
  • Following a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, she crossed home plate on a wild pitch, giving CWRU an early 1-0 lead
  • Mclelland followed with a two-run homer run, her third round tripper of the season, to put the Spartans up 3-0
  • Swarthmore loaded the bases with one out in the next stanza, scoring a run on a sacrifice fly, but doing no further damage
  • In the bottom half of the second, Coonan doubled with one out and scored on a double by Potts to put the Spartans ahead by three
  • Miller led off the fourth inning with a single and advanced to second on a passed ball
  • Coonan followed with a bunt, moving Miller to third and advancing to second while trying to draw a throw
  • Swarthmore recorded a pair of outs on the following play, but the Garnet committed an error in the next at-bat and allowed a run to score, giving Case Western Reserve a 5-1 edge
  • The hosts loaded the bases to lead off the fifth frame with a pair of singles and a walk to bring the tying run to the plate
  • A single brought a run in for the Garnet, and after a strikeout, Swarthmore cut the deficit to one with a two-run single
  • Senior pitcher Devanghi Misra entered the contest and preserved the Spartan lead by inducing a groundout and a pop up
  • Looking to respond, the Spartans loaded the in the bottom of the inning, and Durham drove in a pair of runs with a two-out single, increasing the lead to three
  • Swarthmore loaded the bases in the following frame, eventually scoring four times to take an 8-7 lead
  • However, with two runners in scoring position and just one out, Mclelland recorded a strikeout and induced a popup to keep the deficit at one
  • CWRU was unable to score in the sixth, but the Spartans held Swarthmore without a run in the top of the seventh to set up the heroics in the final frame

Spartan Notes

  • CWRU improved to 24-16 all-time in the postseason across seven appearances and 19-9 in regional rounds. The Spartans have advanced to five regional finals in their seven appearances and will be 2-0 entering the final for the first time in program history
  • Case Western Reserve lost its only prior meeting with the Garnet, falling 4-1 in Kissimmee, Florida, in March 2024
  • Mclelland's home run was the 30th of the year for Case Western Reserve, tied for the sixth most by the team in its history. CWRU hit 30 homers in each of the last two seasons
  • Potts had her team-leading 18th multi-hit game of the season against the Garnet while also slugging her 16th double of the year, matching a career high set in 2024
  • Coonan had her 13th multi-hit game of 2026, Miller had her 11th contest with at least two hits, and Mclelland recorded her seventh multi-hit game of the year
  • Durham drove in a pair of runs for the first time this season and the third time in her career, while Ching had her fourth game of the year with multiple RBI
  • Case Western Reserve improved to 13-3 in games during which the team hits a home run and 18-0 when it scores seven or more runs and 10-0 when it scores nine or more runs

Up Next

With the win, the Spartans advanced to the regional final which will commence at 11 a.m. on Saturday with a second game scheduled for 1:30 p.m. if necessary. CWRU needs just one win to reach the Super Regional Round for the fourth time in program history.

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