The Lake Forest College softball team fell 3-2 to Rutgers University-Camden before defeating Anderson University (Ind.) 7-5 on Friday at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Florida. Forester junior first baseman Nikki Miller was 3-for-4 with runners in scoring position on the day.
Miller's first base hit scored freshman right fielder Whitney Leiderman, putting the Foresters ahead in the bottom of the first inning against Rutgers-Camden. Leiderman drew a one-out walk and stole second before Miller's single.
The Raptors, however, scored twice in the top of the second inning and added a run in the fourth.
Lake Forest stranded two runners in the third and fourth innings and had a pair of hits in the fifth but were unable to score. Sophomore center fielder Nora Logue doubled and later scored on an error in the sixth inning but the Foresters left two runners on again and could not tie the score.
Miller and Logue were each 2-for-3 in the contest and junior Kelly Chesnut pitched four scoreless innings in relief.
The Foresters scored first in their second game of the day as well. Freshman designated player Kassie Marsala tripled to start a three-run rally in the top of the second inning. Logue followed with an RBI-single and sophomore second baseman Clare Kavanagh added another base hit. After stolen bases put Logue at third and Kavanagh at second, sophomore shortstop Sam Ritsema bunted and Logue beat the throw home. A double-steal by Ritsema and Kavanagh plated the third run of the frame.
Anderson scored two in the bottom of the second but Lake Forest pulled away with another three-run inning in the fourth. Senior catcher Danielle Gore drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a groundout, and scored on a double by senior left fielder Leslie Harshey. Leiderman doubled in Harshey with two outs and scored on a single by Miller.
The Ravens scored once in the bottom of the fifth inning but the Foresters answered with one in the top of the sixth. Harshey led off with a single and later scored on an infield single by Leiderman and throwing error by the Anderson pitcher.
Anderson plated two more runs and had the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh before Chesnut induced a groundout to end the game.
Forester junior Molly Thomsen pitched the first six innings and allowed just two earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks. She is now 3-1 with a 1.83 earned run average on the season.
Lake Forest finished the 10-game trip with a 4-6 record. Rutgers-Camden raised it mark to 4-6 and Anderson fell to 6-5.
Miller leads the Foresters with a .379 batting average and Marsala is next at .375. Leiderman's five runs scored and five RBI are tied with Gore and Ritsema, respectively, for the team lead.
The Foresters will play their home-opener doubleheader against Wheaton College next Saturday afternoon at 1:00.
