From Washington University Athletics
Senior Annie Pitkin tossed a complete game to lead the No. 2-ranked Washington University in St. Louis softball team to a 4-1 win over Case Western Reserve University in the final game of the 2016 University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship Tournament Sunday in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
WashU improved to 14-4, 6-4 in the UAA, while Case dropped to 7-13, 2-8 in the UAA. The Bears finished in a tie with Brandeis University for second place in the UAA standings.
Pitkin (9-2) escaped a bases loaded jam with a pair of strikeouts in the second, and then struck out Meghann McMahon with the bases loaded in the seventh to end the game. The complete game for Pitkin was the 47th of her career.
WashU gained the 1-0 lead in its first at-bat as sophomore Anna McKee laced a two-out single to left scoring junior Janet Taylor.
The Bears pushed across an unearned run in the fourth to gain a 2-0 lead. Senior Brooke Hofer led off the inning with single to left, and then scored after Case 3B Grace Tritchler air-mailed a throw into right center on a bunt from freshman Josi Elder.
WashU scored a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh to gain the 4-1 advantage. Taylor ripped a single to left to drive in sophomore Maggie Clapp, who led off the inning with a single. Freshman Taylor Arends followed with an RBI groundout.
Clapp went 2-for-2 after replacing sophomore Hera Tang at third base in the third inning. WashU had nine hits in the win and left seven runners on base.
Junior Hannah Mehrle (.429), Taylor (.419) and Hofer (.410) all hit over .400 for the tournament. Pitkin was 4-2 with a 2.67 earned run average and had 55 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings pitched.