The Lake Forest College softball team was defeated 4-2 and 11-7 by visiting North Central College on Thursday. Junior Aubrey Pendegraft's three-run home run gave the home team a 7-6 lead in game two but the Cardinals rallied for five runs in the final inning.
Pendegraft's first round-tripper of the season capped off a seven-run third inning. Senior catcher Danielle Gore led off the frame with a base hit up the middle and she advanced all the way to third on freshman second baseman Alyssa Vechiola's bunt single and errant throw by the second baseman. The next two batters reached and a pair of runs scored on North Central errors. Junior first baseman Nikki Miller followed with an RBI groundout and freshman outfielder Jessica Tucker added a run-scoring double, putting runners on second and third with just one out and the home team trailing 6-4. Pendegraft fell behind in the count before connecting on a blast over the center field fence, giving the Foresters a 7-6 advantage.
Lake Forest junior Molly Thomsen, who pitched all of game one, entered the nightcap in the third inning and held North Central scoreless for four frames. Tucker threw out a runner at the plate in the third inning and Miller snagged a line drive and stepped on first base for a double play to end the fifth. Thomsen walked the bases loaded in the sixth but escaped the jam. The stellar defense continued into the seventh when sophomore center fielder Nora Logue made a leaping catch of a line drive to start the inning.
The visitors, however, finally broke through with five runs on five hits and a pair of Lake Forest errors in the seventh. The Foresters were unable to come back in the bottom of the frame.
North Central also jumped ahead early in the opener of the doubleheader on a two-run, first-inning homer.
Lake Forest came back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Miller started the inning with a base hit and was lifted for sophomore pinch runner Sammie Zender, who stole second base and went to third on a wild pitch. Logue, who was 2-for-2 in the game, drew a walk and, two batters later, went to third on a run-scoring single by Tucker. Senior designated player Leslie Harshey executed a perfect squeeze bunt to being Logue home with the tying run.
The Cardinals, however, plated a pair of unearned runs against Thomsen in the top of the fifth and held on for the victory.
Thomsen was saddled with the loss in both contests but allowed just five earned runs in 12 innings of work on the day. Tucker and Gore led the Forester offense with three hits apiece in the doubleheader.
Lake Forest fell to 14-15 overall this season while the Cardinals raised their record to 20-16.
The Foresters will resume Midwest Conference play this weekend. The team is scheduled to play a doubleheader at Illinois College Saturday afternoon at 1:00 and another twinbill at Monmouth College at the same time on Sunday. Lake Forest, Illinois College, and Monmouth are all still in contention for the MWC South Division's two spots in the MWC Championship Tournament, as well as the right to host the event.
