Both teams scored seven runs, both teams won one run games by identical scores

About as even as an afternoon could get

John Carroll visited Case Western Reserve University in a non-conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon at sunny but slightly chilly Mather Field. Case Reserve won game one, 4-3, in extra innings, while John Carroll won the nightcap, 4-3, to earn the split.

GAME ONE

The two teams were locked in a scoreless duel in the opener, getting hits but unable to string anything together.

It took until the bottom of the sixth inning for anyone to cross home plate safely, and it would be CWRU that claimed the honor. A bases loaded two out single by Maren Waldner plated the first run.

Trailing 1-0 entering the top of the seventh, JCU needed a rally, and starting pitcher AnnMarie Kirchner helped her own cause. Her RBI single scored Maggie Gannon, who led off the inning with a line drive double that went to the fence.

The next John Carroll batter, Hannah Mizener, laced a two-run home run over the left center fence.

The Blue Streaks led 3-1, but could not add to nor hold the lead. Case pushed across two unearned runs to tie the game in the seventh, and then, after JCU left the bases loaded in the eighth, the host Spartans won the contest with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth.

Jessica Cook took the hard luck loss in relief. Offensively, Gannon and Christie Wade both had three hits.

GAME TWO

John Carroll scored twice in the first, once in the second, and tallied a much needed insurance run in the fifth to post a 4-3 victory.

Carly Simecek had the big hit, a two-run single in the first inning that staked her team a 2-0 advantage. JCU would never trail in the nightcap.

Mizener and Lauren Cianciolo each had two his as part of John Carroll's six-hit attack in support of Cook, who started and won game two. She allowed three runs (two earned) and gave up eight hits, striking out two.

Brianna Lach worked the final two scoreless innings for her first save.

John Carroll is now 13-1  on the year, while CWRU settles in at 15-15.