The Lake Forest College softball team split a doubleheader at Wheaton College on Saturday, falling 7-6 in the opener before winning game two 9-4. Forester freshman pitcher Kristi Gandy earned the victory and had a pair of run-scoring singles in game two.
Gandy drove in sophomore shortstop Sam Ritsema with the first run of game two in the top of the first inning. Wheaton, however, answered with a score in the bottom of the frame.
Lake Forest regained the lead in the fourth by taking advantage of a couple of Wheaton errors and a double by Forester senior designated player Nikki Miller.
Sophomore left fielder Whitney Leiderman doubled with one out in the fifth inning, advanced to third on a pinch hit single by freshman Alex Hemmer, and scored on a ground ball off the bat of Ritsema. Gandy followed with her second RBI single of the contest and the Foresters led 4-1.
Gandy, who struck out a pair of batters and allowed eight base hits but just one run in four innings, was replaced in the circle by fellow freshman Kaleigh Ambrose in the bottom of the fifth.
The Thunder plated an unearned run in Ambrose's first inning but the visitors responded with a four-run rally in the top of the sixth. The first four batters of the inning drew walks but one was caught stealing. The first run of the frame came home on an errant throw to the plate by the Wheaton second baseman and the other three on a bases-loaded double by Ambrose.
Miller doubled again in the top of the seventh inning and her pinch runner scored on a groundout by freshman catcher Maddie Dieleman. Wheaton scored twice in the bottom of the inning but still fell five runs short, giving Ambrose her first career save.
Lake Forest is now 5-7 on the season. Wheaton fell to 8-4.
The Foresters will take on Elmhurst College in their home opener Monday afternoon at 3:00. Lake Forest is also scheduled to host the University of Chicago at the same time on Tuesday.
