From Case Western Reserve University Athletics
The Case Western Reserve University softball team opened its 2017 home schedule with a sweep of a doubleheader over Kenyon College at Mather Park on Tuesday afternoon, picking up a 6-5 win over the Ladies in the early contest, and an 8-0 victory in the late affair.
The two wins raised the Spartans record to 7-5 on the year, while Hiram fell to 8-12 overall with the losses.
Sophomore Nicole Doyle led the Spartans at the plate with a five-for-seven effort including one home run and five runs batted in, while junior Grace Tritchler was three-for-seven with two RBI's on the day, including the go-ahead RBI in the first game of the doubleheader.
Game 1: CWRU 6, Kenyon 5
The Ladies took the early lead in the first game of the day, scoring three in the top of the first. CWRU responded in the bottom half of the inning when junior Maren Waldner doubled to left field to score Doyle and freshman Emily Nishiwaki, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
Kenyon answered in the top of the second to bring their lead to 5-2, but once again the Spartans came right back and scored a run in the third when freshman Nicole Carty singled up the middle to score Niskiwaki from second.
The game remained 5-3 until the bottom of the fifth when senior Annie Wennerberg doubled to right field to score Tritchler from second to cut the deficit to 5-4. The Spartans then scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth when Tritchler deliver the two-out RBI double to drive in Doyle and Waldner to give CWRU their first lead of the game.
Wennerberg then held the Ladies scoreless in the top of the seventh to give the Spartans their sixth win of the season.
Wennerberg went the distance on the mound in the first game for the Spartans, scattering seven hits and walk, while striking out six and yielding five earned runs. She improved to 5-2 on the year. Wennerberg also contributed three of the Spartans' 13 hits in the game.
Austen Whibley took the loss for Kenyon on the mound, falling to 2-8 on the year.
Game 2: CWRU 8, Kenyon 0 (6 inn.)
The Spartans scored at least a run in five of the six innings played during the second game of the doubleheader to secure an 8-0 win over the Ladies.
Junior Katie Dzierwa went the distance in the game, holding Kenyon scoreless on seven hits and walk, while striking out three batters. It was her first win of the season and the teams four shutout of the season.
Doyle, who went three-for-three in the game with five RBI's, two runs and one home run, got the Spartans on the board in the first inning with an RBI single that drove in two runs. The score remained 2-0 until the bottom of the third when Case Western Reserve broke out for three runs in the frame, including Doyle's two-run home run and Carty's RBI single. The Spartans went on to score a run in each of the next three innings, including an RBI single from Wennerberg to put the run-rule into effect.
Keely Sweet started and suffered the loss for Kenyon in the second game, dropping to 6-3 on the season.