The 2015 Midwest Conference Classic began on Friday and the Lake Forest College softball team defeated Beloit College 23-1 in its only game of the day. The Foresters' starting infield combined to go 10-for-11 with two home runs, a double, 11 runs scored, and nine driven in.
Junior third baseman Kaleigh Ambrose led the way with a career-high four hits, including her fifth home run of the year. She also scored four times and drove in a pair of runs. Freshman shortstop Kat Beall was 3-for-3 with three runs scored and four RBI, including three on her first career homer in a four-run first inning. Junior first baseman Sally Snarski, who was 1-for-1 with a pair of walks, drove in the Foresters first run on a single earlier in the frame. Junior second baseman Vasi Panos made the only out of the group but still had two base hits, including a double, and both scored and drove in two runs apiece.
A Beloit error brought home another Lake Forest run in the top of the second, making the score 5-0.
Less than a week after setting a school record with a 15-run inning at Knox College last Saturday, the Foresters plated 14 in the third against Beloit. Ten different players scored in the inning and eight drove in at least one run. Freshman designated player Jillian Rashid belted her first career round-tripper and also singled in a run later in the inning. Beall and Panos also had two base hits during the rally.
Ambrose's home run led off the top of the fourth and freshman leftfielder Sydney Gardner hit a three-run blast, her second of the season, later in the inning.
The Buccaneers scored their only run of the contest on a homer in the bottom of the fifth and final inning.
Lake Forest had a season-high 18 hits and drew eight walks in the game. The team is now batting .349 on the year and the Foresters' current .436 on-base percentage and .567 slugging percentage would be the best marks in program history.
Forester junior pitcher Jessi Werner struck out 11 batters while allowing just four hits and a walk in five innings of work. She improved to 11-1 with a 1.99 earned run average and 96 strikeouts in 81 innings pitched.
Lake Forest is now 19-4 overall and undefeated in five league games. Beloit fell to 8-16 overall and 2-2 in the conference.
The Foresters will continue play at the MWC Classic over the weekend, taking on Ripon College at 11:00 a.m. and and St. Norbert College at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and finishing up with Carroll University at 10:00 a.m. and Lawrence University at noon on Sunday.
