CLEVELAND, Ohio – Case Western Reserve University swept a non-conference softball doubleheader against Kenyon College on Tuesday winning game one 6-5 before shutting out the Ladies 8-0 in game two. The Ladies have now lost five in a row and are sitting at 8-12 midway through their schedule.
 
In the opener, the Spartans slowly chipped away at a three-run deficit before prevailing 6-5.
 
Kenyon struck fire to start the game as its first three batters got hits. Madi Maldonado singled to center and Amanda Ogata followed with a single through the left side which brought Britny Patterson to the batter's box. The sophomore then followed with a three-run bomb to left field pushing the Ladies ahead 3-0.
 
Case responded in the home half of the first with two runs as Maren Waldner connected with a two-bagger to left field plating teammates Emily Nishiwaki and Katie Wede.
 
An inning later, the Ladies added to their total with two more scores. After Amanda Coyle singled, a throw allowed Juliana Delsante and Coyle to advance into scoring position. In the next at-bat, a wild pitch brought the two Ladies to home and pushed Kenyon's lead to 5-2.
 
A promising start wouldn't last though as Kenyon got just three more hits over the final five innings. In that time, the Spartans began to come back.
 
In the third, Nicole Carty singled up the middle scoring Nishiwaki who opened the frame reaching first on an error. Another run was added by the Spartans in the fifth bringing the score to 5-4, and then in the sixth CWRU took the lead for good. With two out, Grace Tritchler doubled to right center pushing across the go-ahead runs.
 
Kenyon's final chance in the seventh saw Maldonado and Ogata reach base, but the Spartans got back-to-back outs to end the game.
 
The Ladies' top three batters – Maldonado, Ogata and Patterson – combined to go 5-for-11 while the rest of the lineup went 2-for-18.
 
Game two saw little resistance from Kenyon as Case Western Reserve won 8-0 in six innings.
 
After the Ladies stranded two runners in the top of the first, Case came back in the home half of the frame to score twice. With runners in scoring position, Nicole Doyle singled up the middle plating two.
 
In the third, Kenyon got a leadoff double from Maldonado but she later got tagged out on a fielder's choice. Another fielder's choice got Ogata forced out at third eliminating another scoring opportunity and finally, Patterson was tagged out at home following a throw from Case's centerfielder to home plate.
 
Case's offense then responded in the bottom of the third. Doyle socked a two-run homer while Carty connected with a two-out single up the middle scoring Tritchler.
 
The Ladies had one more chance to get on the scoreboard in the fourth, but Keely Sweet was tagged out at home on another fielder's choice.
 
Over the last three innings, the Spartans tallied one run and in the sixth invoked the run rule as Wennerberg singled through the left side scoring Doyle ending the game.
 
Maldonado, Patterson and Grace Pilz led the Ladies with two hits.
 
Kenyon will try and snap out of its small funk on March 26 when they travel to Marietta College for two games.