The Lake Forest College softball team continued its Spring Break trip to Clermont, Florida, with a 7-1 victory over Lakeland College and a 6-5 walk-off win over the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Friday. Forester senior shortstop Sam Ritsema had a team-high five base hits on the day.
All four Forester infielders -- Ritsema, sophomore second baseman Vasi Panis, freshman third baseman Sall Snarski, and freshman first baseman Tara Airola -- were 3-for-4 at the plate against Lakeland and they combined for four runs scored and all seven of the team's runs batted in. Airola balted her first career home run with a runner on base to cap off a four-run first inning and Snarski also hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh.
Sophomore Jessi Werner scattered seven hits while striking out five and walking one in the complete game victory.
Werner also earned the win against Stevens Point, although she pitched just two-thirds of an inning. The Pointers plated three runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the score at five. Snarski led off the bottom of the frame with a nine-pitch at-bat that ended with the ball clearing the right field fence for a walk-off home run. It was her second round-tripper of the day and fourth this season.
All 11 runs in the game were scored in the final three innings. Lake Forest got on the scoreboard first on a two-run double by sophomore catcher Alex Hemmer. She later came home on a passed ball to give the Foresters a 3-0 lead going into the sixth.
After Stevens Point scored twice in the top of the sixth, Lake Forest matched that total in the bottom of the inning on run-scoring singles by junior centerfielder Whitney Leiderman and Ritsema.
Leiderman, Ritsema, and junior second baseman Raquel Ness each had a pair of base hits in the game and junior rightfielder Kayla Borgra singled three times.
All five runs allowed by Forester freshman pitcher Jenny McTague were unearned. She gave up just five hits in six-and-one-third innings and lowered her earned run average to 1.20. Werner's victory evened her record on the season at 3-3.
Lakeland fell to 8-5 on the season and Stevens Point to 3-3.
The Foresters will conclude their participation in the Dot Richardson Spring Games on Saturday when they take on Benedictine University at 9:00 a.m. and Hope College immediately afterward at 11:00.
