The Forester softball team fell 6-4 to Transylvania University and 7-1 to Illinois Wesleyan University on Friday at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Florida. Lake Forest senior catcher Danielle Gore was 1-for-2 in both games.
Gore and junior second baseman Megan Harkins accounted for the Foresters' only two hits in game two. Gore led off the bottom of the third inning with a line drive single and advanced to second when the ball was misplayed by the left fielder. She reached third on a groundout and scored on a two-out single by Harkins, making the score 2-1.
Illinois Wesleyan plated a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, added one in the fifth, and broke the game open with five in the seventh.
While the day did not end well for the Foresters, the start was much more positive. Lake Forest scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning against Transylvania on consecutive singles by freshman center fielder Whitney Leiderman, junior first baseman Nikki Miller, freshman third baseman Kassie Marsala, and junior designated player Aubrey Pendegraft.
The Pioneers, however, took advantage of three Forester errors in the first two innings to score five unearned runs.
A sacrifice fly by Gore scored a run in the top of the fourth inning and sophomore center fielder Nora Logue singled, stole second, and scored on a throwing error in the sixth. The Foresters, however, stranded a pair of runners in the sixth and Transylvania added an insurance run in the bottom of the frame to close out the scoring.
Lake Forest out-hit the Pioneers 10-9. Marsala was 2-for-4 in the contest and sophomore shortstop Sam Ritsema's double in the fourth was the only extra base hit of the game.
Forester junior pitcher Molly Thomsen suffered her first loss of the season but allowed just one earned run to lower her ERA on the year to a team-best 1.70.
The losses dropped Lake Forest's record on the season to 3-5. Transylvania raised its mark to 4-9-1 and Illinois Wesleyan is 8-1.
The Foresters will close out their Spring Break trip tomorrow against Rutgers University-Camden at 11:00 a.m. (EST) and Anderson University (Ind.) at 1:00 p.m.
