A 5-4 loss in game one of Lake Forest College's doubleheader against visiting Carthage College on Monday ended the Foresters' eight-game winning streak, but the home team rebounded with a 10-6 victory in game two. Lake Forest junior catcher Alex Hemmer went 5-for-8 with three runs scored and four driven in on the day.
Hemmer started the scoring in game one with a solo home run, her fourth of the season, in the bottom of the first inning.
After the Lady Reds tied the score in the second, Lake Forest regained the lead in the third. Senior centerfielder Whitney Leiderman led off the frame with a single, stole second, and advanced to third on a base hit by senior rightfielder Kayla Borgra. Hemmer bunted in Leiderman and beat the throw to first for a base hit. Borgra advanced to third when the throw got away from the first baseman and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior first baseman Sally Snarski.
Carthage scored three run in the top of the fourth inning to take a 4-3 lead.
Hits by sophomore pitcher Jenny McTague, junior second baseman Vasi Panos, and senior leftfielder Audrey Djukic loaded the base in the bottom of the fourth and a groundout by Borgra tied the score at four. The Foresters, however, were unable to score any more in the inning.
A two-out single scored what proved to be the winning run for Carthage in the top of the fifth inning.
McTague joined Hemmer with two base hits as the Foresters out-hit the Lady Reds 9-8 in the contest.
Lake Forest was in danger of being swept in game two when the visitors took the early lead with a pair of runs in the top of the second. The Foresters quickly tied the score, however, on a two-run home run by Panos in the bottom of the frame. It was the first homer of the year for Panos. Leiderman singled in a run later in the inning to give the home team the lead.
Both teams also scored in the fourth. After a Carthage two-run home run in the top of the inning, the Foresters rallied for four runs in the bottom. Freshman leftfielder Sydney Gardner led off the inning with a base hit and Leiderman followed with a bunt single. A fielder's choice ground ball by Borgra did not result in an out, loading the bases for Hemmer, who, for the second time on the day, drove in a run on a bunt single. Snarski was hit by a pitch, giving Lake Forest the lead, and junior third baseman Kaleigh Ambrose followed with a sacrifice fly. Hemmer advanced to third on the play and scored on a groundout by freshman shortstop Kat Beall.
Lake Forest junior pitcher Jessi Werner retired the Lady Reds in order in the top of the fifth and the Foresters added three runs to their lead in the bottom of the inning. Hemmer drove in the first with a two-out base hit and, after another RBI single by Snarski, came home on a double by Ambrose, making the score 10-4.
Another two-run home run for Carthage, followed by a single, made things interesting in the top of the seventh but Werner was able to close out her 10th victory of the season against just one loss. She allowed eight hits and four walks but also struck out eight batters in the game.
Snarski was 3-for-3 and Hemmer 3-for-4 while Leiderman and Gardner added two base hits apiece in the contest.
The Foresters are now 18-4 and the Lady Reds 8-10 this season.
Lake Forest will take a 4-0 Midwest Conference record to Janesville, Wisconsin, for this weekend's MWC Classic. After taking on Beloit College Friday at 3:00 p.m., the Foresters will face Ripon College at 11:00 a.m. and St. Norbert College at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. They will close out the weekend Sunday against Carroll University at 10:00 a.m. and Lawrence University at noon.
