The Forester softball team was defeated 9-7 and 6-5 at Wheaton College on Saturday. Lake Forest fell to 3-7 on the season while the Thunder raised their record to 9-4-1.
After Wheaton scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning in game one, the Foresters got one back in the top of the second on an RBI-groundout by freshman Clare Kavanagh.
The visitors used speed to grab the lead in the third. Sophomore Megan Harkins led off the frame with an infield single, stole second base, and scored on a one-out base hit to center by freshman Sam Ritsema. Ritsema also stole second and came home on a single by sophomore Aubrey Pendegraft.
Run-scoring singles by junior Leslie Harshey and sophomore Nikki Miller scored Pendegraft and freshman Mindy Runge in the fifth inning, extending the Foresters' lead to 5-2.
Lake Forest sophomore Ashley Cuthbert made her 2011 debut in the top of the sixth inning when she led off another two-run rally with a pinch-hit double. Harkins then singled to left field and advanced to second on a groundout. A Pendegraft groundout drove in Cuthbert and Harkins came home on a wild pitch, putting the visitors ahead 7-2.
A seven-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning, however, turned the five-run Forester advantage into a 9-7 lead for Wheaton and Lake Forest was unable to score in the seventh.
The Thunder jumped out to the early lead again in game two, scoring once in the bottom of the first inning.
An RBI-double by Miller tied the score in the top of the second but Wheaton added single tallies in the second and third to take a 3-1 advantage.
Pendegraft drew a base on balls to lead off the fourth inning, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and reached third on a dropped third strike. Miller then bunted in Pendegraft and reached base herself when the throw home was not in time. Cuthbert then belted a three-run homer, the first round-tripper of her career, to give the Foresters a 5-3 lead.
Wheaton came back again, however, tying the game with two runs in the fifth inning and plating the final tallyin the sixth.
The Foresters will play their home opener next Wenesday against Carthage College. The doubleheader will begin at 3:00 p.m. and live stats will be available on the Lake Forest College Athletics website.
