The Forester softball team was edged out 5-4 in the opener and 4-3 in 10 innings in game two of a doubleheader at the University of Chicago on Tuesday. Freshman rightfielder Tara Airola hit two of Lake Forest's four home runs on the day as the team matched the program record for round-trippers in a season.
The Foresters entered the week ranked second in the nation with 1.13 home runs per game and have belted six in the last two days. The team now has 32 homers this year, matching the school record set in 2007.
Senior shortstop Sam Ritsema hit Lake Forest's first homer of the day while leading off the top of the sixth inning in game one. It was her fifth of the year and 18th of her career, one shy of Mallory Norton for third place in team history. Airola cleared the fence two batters later, trimming Chicago's lead to 4-3.
After the home team plated a run in the bottom of the sixth, the Foresters needed at least two in the seventh to extend the game. Junior leftfielder Audrey Djukic led off with a line drive single to left and junior centerfielder Kayla Borgra was hit by a pitch. After a pair of outs, Airola drew a walk to load the bases. An infield single scored Djukic but the comeback bid ended there.
Djukic also scored the Foresters' first run of the contest on a bunt by Airola in the top of the opening inning.
The Maroons pulled ahead on a two-run homer in the bottom of the first innings and added another two-run shot in the fourth.
Lake Forest sophomore pitcher Jessi Werner recorded seven strikeouts in five-and-two-thirds innings of work. Her 96 strikeouts this season already rank second in team history.
Freshman pitcher Jenny McTague struck out a career-high 11 batters in game two of the doubleheader. She allowed just two earned runs and pitched the entire game, which finally ended on a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th inning.
The visitors jumped out to the early lead on a two-run homer by Airola in the first inning and a solo shot by sophomore catcher Alex Hemmer in the third. Both players now have four home runs on the season.
Chicago quickly tied the scored with three runs in the bottom of the third inning and neither team scored again until the game-winner in the 10th.
Hemmer had three of the Foresters eight hits in the contest. Chicago managed just seven hits off McTague.
Lake Forest fell to 20-7 on the season while Chicago, the 21st-ranked team in the nation, improved to 21-5.
The Foresters will close out the regular season with a pair of Midwest Conference doubleheaders at home this weekend. The team will host Cornell College at 1:00 Saturday afternoon and Grinnell College at the same time on Sunday.
