The Forester softball team was defeated 3-2 by host Ripon College and 9-1 in five innings by Monmouth College at the double-elimination Midwest Conference Tournament on Friday. Junior Danielle Gore had three base hits and a run scored on the day.
Gore had one of the team's two base hits against Ripon, who scored a run in the first inning and led 1-0 until the top of the fifth. Gore singled with one out and freshman Sammie Zender followed with a walk. The runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Mindy Runge before scoring on consecutive passed balls, giving the Foresters a 2-1 advantage.
The Red Hawks, however, plated two unearned runs in the bottom of the frame to regain the advantage and held on for the victory.
Lake Forest starting pitcher Molly Thomsen, a sophomore, allowed juft five base hits and one earned run in four-and-two-thirds innings of work. Classmate Kelly Chesnut got the final four outs without allowing a run.
Monmouth jumped out to an early lead in the Foresters' second with three runs in the top of the first inning and added single tallies in the second and third.
Lake Forest scored its only run in the bottom of the third. Freshman Sam Ritsema reached on a one-out, infield single, advanced to third on a base hit by fellow freshman Clare Kavanagh, and scored on an error by the Monmouth shortstop. A line drive double play thwarted the comeback effort.
The Fighting Scots added two more runs in both the fourth and fifth innings and Lake Forest was unable to extend the game.
The Foresters finished the season with an overall record of 14-18 and a league mark of 9-3. It was the program's 12th consecutive appearance in the four-team conference tourney.