The Lake Forest College softball team split its home-opening
doubleheader with Robert Morris University on Friday (April 2),
winning the opener 3-2 in eight innings before falling 4-1 in game
two. The Foresters are now 10-7-1 on the season and the Eagles are
18-5.
Lake Forest got on the scoreboard first in game one when senior
Mallory Norton (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) belted a two-run homer
in the bottom of the opening frame. It was her fifth of the season
and third in as many game. Sophomore Danielle Gore (Arlington
Heights, Ill./Hersey) had singled with one out and scored ahead of
Norton.
Robert Morris scored an unearned run in the third inning and tied
the score in the fourth.
It remained 2-2 until the bottom of the eighth inning. Sophomore
Leslie Harshey (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) led off the frame with a
base hit to left center and advanced to second on a well-executed
sacrifice bunt by senior Jill Pfund (Morenci, Mich./Morenci). A
passed ball sent Harshey to third and a single through the right
side of the infield by senior Shelby Neill (Manitou Beach,
Mich./Lenawee Christian) brought her home with the winning run.
Freshman Jordan Ratliff (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield) pitched all
eight innings for the Foresters, and yielded just five base hits
while striking out and walking four batters each. She raised her
record on the season to 6-2 and lowered her earned run average to
1.41.
Neill finished the game with three of the home team's 11 base hits
while Norton and freshman Megan Harkins (Homewood,
Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) added two hits apiece.
Lake Forest scored first in game two as well. Harshey walked to
begin the bottom of the second inning. After a fielder's choice,
Neill doubled over the right fielder's head, putting runners at
second and third. A suicide squeeze bunt by senior Sam Pinsonneault
(Manchester, N.H./New Hampton) drove in the run.
Forester freshman pitcher Molly Thomsen (Rumford, R.I./St. Mary
Academy) retired the first 10 batters she faced but finally
surrendered a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fifth. The
Eagles plated one more in the sixth and seventh innings and Lake
Forest was unable to come back.
It was the first career complete game for Thomsen, who allowed just
five hits and struck out five batters while walking just two in
seven innings. She improved her ERA on the season to 2.75.
Norton had two of the Foresters' four base hits in the game.
Lake Forest will begin Midwest Conference play next weekend (April
10-11) at the MWC Classic in Janesville, Wisconsin. The Foresters
will take on Carroll University Saturday at 11:00 a.m., Lawrence
University at 1:00 in the afternoon, and Ripon College at 3:00.
Sunday's opponents are Beloit College at 10:00 a.m. and St. Norbert
College at noon.
