For the first time in program history, the Lake Forest College softball team is hosting an NCAA Division III Regional Tournament. The Foresters were defeated 3-2 by North Central College on Thursday in the opening round, despite three base hits, including a run-scoring single, by freshman leftfielder Sydney Gardner.
Gardner singled in junior second baseman Vasi Panos with the Foresters' first run in the top of the fourth inning, trimming the North Central lead to 2-1.
The score remained 2-1 until the top of the seventh inning. Junior catcher Alex Hemmer was hit by a pitch with one out but retired at second base on a fielder's choice groundout by juniot first baseman Sally Snarski. Freshman Callie Schaser pinch-ran for Snarski and advanced to second when junior third baseman Kaleigh Ambrose drew a walk. Sophomore pitcher Jenny McTague then hit a soft ground ball in the direction of the shortstop. The Cardinal third baseman cut it off but was unable to throw out McTague at first. Schaser never stopped running and came in to score the tying run as the throw home was wide.
Soon after a soft single scored the tying run for the Foresters, it also brought home the winning run for North Central. The regional's top seed was the home team and had a runner on second with two outs before blooping a base hit just out of Hemmer's reach at first base to end the game in walk-off fashion.
Both teams had eight hits in the contest, including three by Gardner and two by McTague for the Foresters. Lake Forest left 11 runners on base to the Cardinals' nine.
The loss dropped Lake Forest's record on the season to 31-9 while North Central, the 16th-ranked team in the nation, improved to 32-7.
Hope College defeated the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 10-7 in the first game of the tournament. Hope and North Central will face each other in Friday's first game at 9:00 a.m.
The Foresters will take on Whitewater in the event's first elimination game at 11:00 Friday morning and the winner will play again at 1:00 p.m. against the loser from the contest between Hope and North Central.
Regional Tournament Schedule (times CST)
Thursday, May 7
Game 1: Hope 10, Wis.-Whitewater 7
Game 2: North Central 3, Lake Forest 2
Friday, May 8
Game 3: Hope vs. North Central, 9:00 a.m.
Game 4: Lake Forest vs. Wis.-Whitewater, 11:00 a.m.
Game 5: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner, 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 9
Game 6: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 12:00 p.m.
Game 7: Rematch of Game 6 (if necessary), 2:30 p.m.
Single-Session Ticket Prices
$6 - Adults
$3 - Students, Senior Citizens, Children Age 2-11
$0 - Children Under 2
