From University of Chicago Athletics
The University of Chicago softball team concluded a successful 4-0 weekend with two more wins at Case Western Reserve University on Sunday.
The Maroons improved to 22-11 and the Spartans fell to 17-16.
Game One – UChicago 5, CWRU 3
Case Western Reserve opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run to right center. The next half inning, UChicago responded. Freshman shortstop Emma Nelson knocked a RBI single to left center to tie the game at 1-1.
The Maroons received some unexpected scoring in the top of the fifth. Following a leadoff single by sophomore second base Colleen Bennett, sophomore outfielder Serena Moss reached on an error and came all the way around to score on the same play.
The visitors expanded their lead in the sixth with freshman catcher Holli Jones' RBI double. Jones then scored on an error to make it 5-1.
The insurance runs proved valuable. Case began the bottom of the seventh by loading the bases with no outs. A RBI groundout and sacrifice fly cut the lead to 5-3, but a final groundout ended the contest.
UChicago tallied seven hits which came from seven different batters in the lineup. The defense made two errors.
Junior pitcher Molly Moran (9-6) picked up the win. She started the opening four innings with a pitching line of one run, three hits, four walks and two strikeouts. Freshman Megan Stoppelman came in relief in the fifth inning. She earned the save over three innings with two runs on one hit, one walk and one strikeout.
Game Two – UChicago 6, CWRU 5
The Maroons drew first blood with two runs in the second inning. An error brought in one and junior catcher Sara Koniewicz accounted for the other with a single to center field. Another CWR error kept UChicago's bats going in the top of the third and sophomore first base Carly Schulz made them pay with a RBI single through the left side.
The Spartans erased that 3-0 deficit in the bottom of third with a bases-clearing three-run double and a wild pitch that put them up 4-3. UChicago tied it with senior outfielder Anna Woolery's run-scoring groundout.
Woolery and sophomore outfielder Maeve Garvey put up back-to-back RBI singles in the sixth at 6-4. But CWR rallied back in the final frame. After an error put the leadoff runner on, a double cut the lead to 6-5. With a runner on third base and one out, Stoppelman came up clutch by striking out the final two batters to close out the game.
Stoppelman moved her season record to 10-3 with four innings of relief work. She struck out three to go with one unearned run, two hits and one walk. Sophomore Jordyne Prussak got the start in the pitching circle (3 IP, 4 R).
The Maroons totaled 12 hits and committed one error. Koniewicz posted a perfect 3-for-3 performance at the plate with one RBI. Woolery (two RBI), Schulz (one RBI) and senior third base Maggie O'Hara all hit 2-for-4.