Softball can't solve Case Western Reserve in UAA twinbill, 5-0 and 12-1

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Brandeis University softball team suffered a series sweep at the hands of Case Western Reserve today as the Judges fell to the Spartans 5-0 and 12-1, in University Athletic Association play today. The Judges fall to 3-9 overall this season, 0-4 in the UAA, while the Spartans improve to 17-6, 4-4 UAA.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 1 (Case, 5-0)

• Spartan pitcher Illisa Hamilton did it all in the opener, tossing a complete-game four-hitter and hitting a solo home run at the plate.
• Hamilton struck out eight and walked just one to improve to 7-3 on the season.
• Brandeis sophomore Scottie Todd (Tampa, Fla./Strawberry Crest) fell to 1-4 after giving up five runs (three earned) in six innings. She allowed seven hits with one strikeout and one walk.
• Offensively, in addition to Hamilton's home run, CWRU got two-hit games from LF Arisa Cleavland and CF Katie Wede, who combined to score three of the game's five runs.
• Brandeis's only multiple hitter in game one was sophomore 3B PJ Ross (Kingston, N.H./Sanborn Regional), who went 2-2 with a walk.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 2 (Case, 12-1, 5 innings)

• The Spartans exploded for eight runs in the fourth inning to blow open a 4-1 game.
• CWRU opened the scoring with a two-run home run by SS Nicole Doyle in the bottom of the first.
• The Judges got one back in the next frame when Ross led off with a single, moved to second and third on a wild pitch and beat a throw home on a ball hit by senior 1B Amanda Shore (San Jose, Calif./Archbishop Mitty).
• The hosts got two more runs in the bottom of the second on a two-run single by Cleaveland.
• Brandeis would load the bases in the top of the third, but Spartan pitcher Sidney Brannam got out of the inning by retiring Ross for the first time all day and getting a groundout by Bridget Cifuni (Georgetown, Mass. / Brooks School).
• The Spartans blew things open in the fourth, with three costly errors making all eight runs unearned.
• The big blows in the frame were a two-run single by SS Nicole Doyle and two-run double by catcher Dusstyn Reynolds.
• Sophomore Callie MacDonald (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) suffered the loss, falling to 1-5 on the season. Brannam is now 8-3 for the Spartans.
• Ross went 2-3 with a run scored to finish the day 4-5 with a walk. Junior catcher Keri Lehtonen (Oneco, Conn./Plainfield) was 2-3 in the second contest and 3-6 overall on the afternoon.

UP NEXT

• The Judges play a non-conference DH at home on April 11 for their first home contests of the season. They then host Emory in a pair of UAA doubleheaders next Friday and Saturday.