The Lake Forest College softball team won twice at Cornell College on Saturday, taking the opener 3-1 and game two 6-5. Forester freshman pitcher Jessi Werner allowed just one run in 10 innings and earned a pair of victories on the day.
Werner went the distance in game one and surrendered just a run on four base hits while striking out three batters and walking two.
The Foresters scored first in the game when sophomore left fielder Whitney Leiderman belted a one-out double in the third inning, stole third, and came home when the ball got away from the shortstop, who was covering the base on the steal attempt.
Cornell tied the score in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out double.
Lake Forest regained the lead in the top of the sixth inning when a flyout to center field by freshman catcher Maddie Dieleman scored senior third baseman Aubrey Pendegraft from third base.
A double by freshman second baseman Kaleigh Ambrose brought home junior shortstop Sam Ritsema with an insurance run in the top of the seventh.
Werner retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to seal the victory.
Ambrose, freshman designated player Kristi Gandy, and sophomore right fielder Kayla Borgra each had two base hits in the contest.
Ritsema was the only Forester with two hits in game two. Her two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning trimmed the Rams' lead to 5-2 and RBI singles by Borgra and Pendegraft later in the inning made it a one-run game.
Werner entered the game at pitcher in the bottom of the fifth and, after walking the first batter she faced, retired the next nine in order, including two by strikeout.
The Foresters scored the tying and winning runs on a single by senior first baseman Nikki Miller with two outs in the top of the seventh. Ritsema led off the inning with her second hit of the game and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Ambrose drew a base on balls, a fielder's choice retired Ritsema at third, and a Pendegraft walk loaded the bases for Miller.
The victories in Lake Forest's first two Midwest Conference games of the season raised the Foresters' overall record to 7-9. Cornell, who Lake Forest had not faced since the 1989 conference tournament, fell to 8-7 overall and 1-3 in league play.
The Foresters will continue their weekend road trip with a doubleheader at Knox College Sunday afternoon at 1:00.
