From University of Chicago Athletics
Stellar pitching performances characterized the University of Chicago softball team's two victories at Case Western Reserve University on Saturday afternoon.
The Maroons improved to 20-11 and the Spartans dropped to 17-14.
Game One – UChicago 12, CWR 1
The visitors made their presence felt right off the bat. Sophomore first base Carly Schulz doubled down the left field line to knock in two unearned runs in the first inning. UChicago struck again with four scores in the second inning. An error and a sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 4-0. Senior outfielder Anna Woolery singled up the middle to add another run, and senior third base Maggie O'Hara drove in one with a double to right field.
A sacrifice fly got Case Western Reserve on the board in the bottom of the second. However, the Maroons ended the game early with six in the top of the fifth. All the scoring occurred with two outs. Junior Sara Koniewicz pinch hit and immediately delivered a two-run double to right. Freshman catcher Holli Jones added a two-run double of her own. Sophomore second base Colleen Bennett and sophomore outfielder Serena Moss both drove in one run each with doubles.
UChicago finished with 11 hits and one error. Schulz hit 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Case was limited to one hit in the contest as junior pitcher Molly Moran kept the base paths clear. Moran ran her pitching record to 8-6 with one unearned run over five innings. She also struck out four batters.
Game Two – UChicago 1, CWR 0
Runs proved hard to come by in the second game. The contest's lone run came in the top of the first, when sophomore outfielder Maeve Garvey smacked a RBI double down the right field line.
From that point on, UChicago relied on starting pitcher Megan Stoppelman to put zeros on the scoreboard. The freshman hurler obliged and recorded her first collegiate shutout. The Spartans threatened in the bottom of the seventh with a single and a walk. But Stoppelman forced a groundout to end the game and preserve the victory.
Stoppelman moved to 9-3 on the season. Over seven innings of work, she struck out three with five hits and one walk allowed.
Offensively, UChicago posted 10 hits. Garvey was a perfect 4-for-4 at the dish with one RBI and Woolery went 3-for-4.