From Case Western Reserve University Athletics

The Case Western Reserve University softball team opened its 2018 season schedule with a sweep over Marietta College and Susquehanna University on Saturday in Emory, Virginia, picking up a 9-2 win over the Pioneers in the early contest, and a 9-1 victory over the River Hawks in the late affair.

The Spartans improved to 2-0 with the wins, while Marietta fell to 0-1 and Susquehanna dropped to 0-2.

Senior Grace Tritchler led the Spartans at the plate with a five-for-eight effort including two home runs and five runs batted in, while senior Katie Wede was six-for-nine with one home run and three runs batted in on the day.

Game 1: CWRU 9, Marietta 2
The Spartans scored at least a run in six of the seven innings, including a three-run inning in the fifth to secure the win over the Pioneers in the opening game.

Freshman Sidney Brannam went the distance, holding Marietta to two runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out six batters. It was her first win of her collegiate career.

Tritchler got the Spartans on the board in the first when she drilled a solo home run to center field, sophomore Nicole Carty followed with an RBI singles up the middle to score senior Maren Waldner.

CWRU added on in the second inning when junior Nicole Doyle hit solo home run to left-center field. After a scoreless third inning, Wede increased the Spartan lead to 4-0 in the fourth when she laced a double to center field to score Doyle. The Pioneers got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, but the Spartans struck back with five more runs over the next three innings, including Tritchler's second home run of the game in the sixth inning.

Game 2: CWRU 9, Susquehanna 1 (5 innings)
The Spartans scored at least one run in four of the five innings played during the second of the day to secure the 9-1 win over the River Hawks.

Sophomore Ilissa Hamilton went all five innings, allowing only one run on three hits and a walk, while striking out six batters.

Wede, who went four-for-four in the game with two RBI's and three runs scored, got the Spartans on the board in the first inning with a solo home run to left field to even the game at 1-1. CWRU grabbed the lead in the second after scoring three runs via an RBI single from freshman Arisa Cleaveland, a RBI double from Carty and another RBI double from Tritchler.

The Spartans added two more runs in the third and another run in the fifth to put the run-rule into effect.