The Lake Forest College softball team split a pair of games on
the first day of the Midwest Conference Championship Tournament.
The Foresters defeated Ripon College 6-5 in their first game of the
double-elimination event but fell 4-2 to St. Norbert College later
in the day. Lake Forest, which is hosting the tournament, is now
23-13-1 on the season.
St. Norbert defeated Monmouth College 5-0 in the first game of the
day and Monmouth won 4-2 to eliminate Ripon in game three. Ripon
finished the year with a record of 14-20. Monmouth is now 14-21 and
will play another elimination game against the Foresters at 10:00
tomorrow morning. The winner will advance to the championship
against St. Norbert, which is now 29-6 and will have to defeat the
Green Knights twice to claim the title.
Lake Forest fell behind early in the game against Ripon when the
visitors plated three runs in the top of the first inning.
The Foresters closed to within a run in the second. Freshman
designated player Nikki Miller
(Starkville, Miss./Starkville Academy) led off the frame with a
base hit up the middle and senior catcher Jill Pfund
(Morenci, Mich./Morenci) belted a one-out, line drive double over
the center fielder's head. Senior first baseman Shelby Neill
(Manitou Beach, Mich./Lenawee Christian) singled in the first run
and senior center fielder Sam
Pinsonneault (Manchester, N.H./New Hampton) bunted in Pfund
with the second.
A three-run fourth inning gave Lake Forest the lead. Senior left
fielder Jeannette
Andresen (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South) singled to lead
off the inning and Pfund followed with a walk. The runners advanced
on a passed ball and Andresen scored on a suicide squeeze bunt by
Pinsonneault. Freshman second baseman Megan
Harkins (Homewood, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) singled in Pfund,
stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher,
and scored on a base hit by sophomore right fielder Danielle
Gore (Arlington Heights, Ill./Hersey).
The Red Hawks tied the game on a two-run home run in the top of the
fifth inning and the score remained 5-5 until the bottom of the
seventh.
Senior third baseman Mallory
Norton (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) led off with a double and
scored when Miller belted a shot over the right fielder's head.
Forester freshman pitcher Jordan
Ratliff (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield) pitched the entire game
to earn the victory. He allowed eight base hits, two earned runs,
and a walk but struck out a season-high eight batters in the
game.
Ratliff also tossed a complete game against St. Norbert and is now
12-6 with a 1.73 earned run average on the year.
The Foresters were the visitors in the day's fourth and final game
and took the lead with two runs in the top of the second inning.
Miller started the rally again by drawing a base on balls. Neill
and Pinsonneault also walked with two outs and Harkins singled to
center to drive in both runs.
The Green Knights tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the
third inning and took the lead with two more in the fifth.
Lake Forest loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh but was
unable to score.
Lake Forest will host the 2010 Midwest Conference Championship
Tournament next weekend (May 7-8). The double-elimination event
will begin at 10:00 each morning. The Foresters will take on Ripon
College in round one at noon on Friday.
Foresters Defeat Ripon, Fall to St. Norbert on Day One of MWC Tourney
Posted: May 08, 2010
May 13, 2010
Megan Harkins Named Forester Athlete of the Week
April 29, 2010
Jordan Ratliff Repeats as Forester Athlete of the Week
April 25, 2010
Foresters Sweep Grinnell to Finish 12-1 in Conference Play
April 22, 2010
Jordan Ratliff Named Forester Athlete of the Week
April 17, 2010
Lake Forest Wins 7-1 and 5-2 at Illinois College
April 15, 2010
Tracy Rainey Named Forester Athlete of the Week
April 14, 2010
Foresters Fall Twice to Visiting Wheaton College
March 30, 2010
Jordan Ratliff Named Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Week
March 30, 2010
Lake Forest Wins the Opener, Ties Game Two at Chicago
March 18, 2010
Mallory Norton Named Forester Athlete of the Week
March 10, 2010
Lake Forest Splits Two More Games in Florida on Wednesday
