Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The John Carroll softball team unleashed four home runs in game one of a twinbill against Case Reserve on Friday, downing the Spartans, 8-5, before stumbling in a 12-6 defeat in game two at Bracken Field.

For some longball perspective, the Blue Streaks hit five total homers in 20 games prior to Friday's action, and after Morgan Robinson smacked a solo shot in game two, they matched their season total in just the two-game outing.

The game one victory marked the first time John Carroll has defeated Case since April of 2010, breaking a four-game losing slide to its local rival from Cleveland's east side.

Fireworks started right away for JCU when Ally Kleinhans lit up an overcast sky with a two-out, two-run home run in the first inning.  The very next batter, Colleen Brady, followed suit to account for back-to-back bombs to give the Blue & Gold a 3-0 lead.

The scoring party continued in the bottom of the second when Ashlee Unrue took a pitch well over the center field fence for her fourth blast of the year.  This preceded consecutive doubles by Sam Becker and Erica Chiudioni to push another run across.  The home team's first five runs came with two outs.

Mackenzie Griffin also practiced her home run trot with one in the third.  Her 3-6 offensive day has her batting average among the nation's best at .575 through 22 games.

Case Reserve fought back with runs in four straight innings, but the combination of Rachel Byrnes and Gina Tosti were able to stave off the Spartans for JCU's 15th win of the 2013 campaign.  Byrnes is now a sterling 11-1 in the pitcher's circle.

The latter contest was all Case until the Streaks hung five on the scoreboard in the third on the strength of two-RBI hits from both Griffin and Brady.  The Spartans, however, had answers for every Blue & Gold rally and put the game away late to account for the 12-6 final.

JCU will be right back on the softball field on Saturday, when the Streaks travel to Otterbein for an OAC doubleheader at 1 and 3:00 p.m.