The Lake Forest College softball team split a pair of games in Kissimmee, Florida, on Friday, falling 4-2 to Marietta College before defeating Fitchburg State University 6-1. Senior Molly Thomsen allowed just four hits in a complete game victory in the Foresters' second game of the day.
Thomsen struck out three batters, walked just one, and an unearned run in the second inning was the only score she allowed in the game.
The Foresters left a pair of runners on base in each of the first two innings and went 1-2-3 in the third. Junior shortstop Sam Ritsema led off the bottom of the fourth with a base hit and sophomore right fielder Kayla Borgra followed with a base hit of her own. After a pitching change, the runners stole second and third. Ritsema then scored on a groundout by freshman first baseman Jessi Werner and Borgra came home on a passed ball to give Lake Forest the lead.
The home team added to its advantage in the fifth. Freshman Kaleigh Ambrose reached on a pinch-hit single with one out, advanced to second on a groundout, and scored on a double by Borgra.
The Foresters extended their lead with three runs in the sixth. Freshman second baseman Vasi Panos started the rally by reaching on a two-base error. She then stole third and scored on a base hit by sophomore left fiedler Whitney Leiderman. After a bunt single by sophomore center fielder Alyssa Vechiola and the second out of the inning, Ambrose and Ritsema came though with back-to-back run-scoring singles.
Thomsen retired the side in order in the top of the seventh to finish off the win.
Lake Forest also got off to a slow start in the first game of the day and trailed Marietta 3-0 after four innings. Vechiola led off the top of the fifth with a triple and a two-out single by Ritsema put the Foresters on the scoreboard.
A sacrifice fly by Leiderman pulled the visitors to within one run in the top of the sixth inning but the Pioneers plated one in the bottom of the frame to regain their two-run advantage.
The Foresters went down in order in the top of the seventh.
Lake Forest is now 4-4 on the season and will close out its Spring Break trip with games against Otterbein University (1:00 p.m. EST) and Rowan University (5:00 p.m. EST) on Saturday.
