The Lake Forest College softball team won 15-2 in five innings and 8-0 in six at Grinnell College on Saturday. Forester freshman Mindy Runge had four base hits and scored six runs in the doubleheader and sophomore Kelly Chesnut struck out a career-high nine batters in game two.
Runge scored in each of the opener's first three innings. Junior Danielle Gore led off the contest with a base hit, Runge walked, and sophomore Ashley Cuthbert singled in the first run of the contest. Sophomore Aubrey Pendegraft tripled in a pair of runs and scored on a groundout by junior Leslie Harshey. Freshman Sammie Zender then walked, stole second, and scored on an infield single by freshman Judy Gilbert.
After Grinnell scored one in the bottom of the first inning, Gore walked and Runge doubled to get things started in the second. A sacrifice fly by Cuthbert and a Pendegraft groundout scored the runners, giving the visitors a 7-1 lead.
Zender led off the third inning with a double and scored on an error. Gore singled in a run and Runge, who reached on a fielder's choice, eventually came home on a single by Pendegraft.
The Foresters got just one run in the fourth inning. Zender reached on an infield single, stole her second base of the contest, and scored on a base hit by sophomore Mary Glowacz.
Runge tripled to lead off the fifth inning and scored on another base hit by Pendegraft. Harshey and sophomore Nikki Miller added singles to load the bases and Zender's triple drove them all in, giving Lake Forest a season-high-tying 15 runs in the contest.
The Pioneers scored once in the bottom of the fifth and final inning.
Forester junior Cami Daun scattered six hits and two walks in her second straight complete game victory.
Chesnut was in the pitching circle for the visitors in game two and blanked the Pioneers for all six innings for her first shutout of the season. All four of the home team's base hits were singles and she struck out a career-high nine while walking just two in the contest.
After leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, their first scoreless frame of the day, the Foresters got on the scoreboard in the second when Miller drew a walk, advanced on a pair of wild pitches, and scored on a base hit by freshman Sam Ritsema.
Pendegraft, Harshey, and Zender singled to start the third inning but were still on base until a two-out single by freshman Clare Kavanagh plated two.
Lake Forest scored two more runs in the fourth. Runge had led off the inning with a single and was on second base when Harshey belted her third home run of the year.
Runge started another rally with a leadoff single in the top of the sixth. She then scored for the sixth time on the day when Pendegraft doubled, driving in her sixth run of the doubleheader. RBI-singles by Harshey and Gore extended the Foresters' lead to 8-0 and Chesnut finished off the Pioneers in the bottom of the inning to seal the victory.
Pendegraft and Zender each had three base hits in the opener and Harshey achieved the feat in game two. All 11 position players who played in the doubleheader had at least one hit and the Foresters combined to bat .459 (28-for-61) on the day.
Lake Forest raised its overall record to 12-16 and Midwest Conference mark to 7-3. Grinnell remained winless in 25 games this season, including nine league contests.
The Foresters will continue conference play Monday at Knox College. The doubleheader will begin at 3:00 p.m. A victory in either game will clinch Lake Forest's spot in the four-team MWC Championship Tournament May 6-7.
