The Lake Forest College softball team won the National Fastpitch
Coaches Association Division III Leadoff Classic Gold Bracket
Consolation Championship Sunday (March 14) by defeating Gustavus
Adolphus College 4-3 in eight innings and posting an 8-3 triumph
over Mount Union College. The Foresters won five of six games at
the event and finished their Spring Break trip with a 7-3
record.
Gustavus Adolphus entered the weekend ranked ninth in the nation
and scored all three of their runs in the top of the first
inning.
The Foresters played "small ball" to score their first run of the
game in the bottom of the third inning. Freshman Nikki Miller
(Starkville, Miss./Starkville Academy) led off with a bsae hit and
advanced to second on a bunt single by senior Jill Pfund (Morenci,
Mich./Morenci). Both runners advanced on a groundout and the run
scored on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Megan Harkins (Homewood,
Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor).
Pfund singled in a pair of runs with the bases loaded and two outs
in the third to tie the score.
After the shaky beginning to the game, Forester freshman Jordan Ratliff (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield) settled down and blanked
the Gusties the rest of the way. She had six strikeouts in the game
and retired 16 batters in a row before getting into and out of a
jam in the eighth inning. A runner was placed on second to begin
the frame and the leadoff batter singled and advanced to second on
the throw. A lineout, fielder's choice, and popout kept the game
tied and set up Lake Forest's first walk-off victory of the
season.
Harkins was placed on second to start the bottom of the eighth,
advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Noel Harmon (New
Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way Central) and scored on a sacrifice fly by
senior Tracy Rainey (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park).
Mount Union took the early lead with two runs in the top of the
first inning of the final game of the trip. Lake Forest responded
with two in the bottom of the frame when senior Mallory Norton
(Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) singled in Harkins and scored on a
double by sophomore Danielle Gore (Arlington Heights,
Ill./Hersey).
The Foresters took the lead in the bottom of the third inning on a
three-run homer by Miller, the first round-tripper of her
collegiate career. Another single by Norton and double by Gore
preceded Miller's blast.
The score remained 5-2 until the bottom of the sixth inning, which
began with a double by Miller. Harkins tripled in a run and then
came home on a double by Harmon, who scored on a base hit by
Rainey. It was the school record-tying 115th run batted in of
Rainey's career.
Lake Forest freshman pitcher Kelly Chesnut (Channahon,
Ill./Minooka) tossed her second complete game of the season to earn
the victory. She allowed six base hits and a walk while striking
out three batters in the game.
Rainey was named to the Leadoff Classic All-Tournament Team after
batting .429, driving in eight runs, and handling 34 chances at
shortstop without an error in six games. Norton batted .455 and
drove in nine runs and Harkins hit .364 and scored nine time.
Ratliff was 2-0 with a 2.21 earned run average and 13 strikeouts in
19 innings.
Lake Forest is scheduled to play its home opener next Saturday
(March 20) against Wheaton College. The doubleheader will begin at
1:00 p.m. and live stats will be
available on the Forester Athletics Web site. The team will also
play a doubleheader at Elmhurst College the following afternoon at
1:00.
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
