The Forester softball team defeated Penn State University-Behrend 9-3 and Wittenberg University 7-2 to open the 2015 season at The Spring Games in Clermont, Florida, on Monday. Five Lake Forest players belted home runs on the day, including senior Whitney Leiderman on the team's first plate appearance of the year.
Leiderman's 16th career home run gave the Foresters an early lead but back-to-back homers in Penn St.-Behrend's three-run third inning put Lake Forest in a 3-1 hole.
The Foresters responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the third. Junior designated player Alex Hemmer drew a one-out walk and came all the way around to score on a double by junior first baseman Sally Snarski. Back-to-back RBI-singles by junior second baseman Vasi Panos and junior catcher Maddie Dieleman brought home two more runs and put Lake Forest ahead 4-3.
Hemmer doubled in one run in the bottom of the fourth inning and junior third baseman Kaleigh Ambrose belted a three-run homer later in the frame to break the game open.
A solo home run by senior right fielder Kayla Borgra in the sixth inning closed out the scoring.
Forester junior pitcher Jessi Werner struck out nine batters and walked just one in the contest. It was her 10th career game with at least nine strikeouts.
Pitching was also a strength for Lake Forest against Wittenberg as sophomore Jenny McTague surrendered just one base hit while striking out four and walking three in the game. It was her second career one-hitter but first in a seven-inning game.
Freshman Jillian Rashid doubled in Ambrose with the Foresters' first run of the game in the top of the second inning.
A bunt single by Leiderman and back-to-back home runs by Hemmer and Snarski extended the margin to four runs in the third and run-scoring singles by Hemmer and Ambrose in the fifth made the score 6-0.
McTague's no-hit bid ended on a two-run double with one out in the fifth inning. She did not allow a walk or hit the rest of the way.
The Foresters' final run was scored by freshman shortstop Kat Beall in the top of the sixth. Freshman left fielder Sydney Gardner followed with a bunt single and some aggressive baserunning left Gardner out trying to return to first base but Beall in safely at the plate.
Lake Forest is 2-0 for the first time since 2008. Penn St.-Behrend fell to 0-3 and Wittemberg to 1-1.
The Foresters will take on Hood College Tuesday afternoon at 1:00 (EST) and Gordon College at 5:00. The games will be played at Foundation Academy in Winter Garden, Florida.
