Sophomore shortstop Kat Beall's two-out, seventh-inning grand slam helped the Forester softball team take the opener 9-8 but the visitors fell 14-11 in game two at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on Thursday. Beall had two of Lake Forest's six home runs in the doubleheader.
Trailing 8-5 going into the top of the seventh in game one, the Foresters loaded the bases on singles by freshman leftfielder Maria Zepeda and sophomore centerfielder Sydney Gardner and a walk to senior first baseman Sally Snarski, who had homered earlier in the contest. Beall then belted a 1-1 pitch over the fence for her first career grand slam.
Junior pitcher Jenny McTague, who came on in relief with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, induced three straight groundouts in the bottom of the seventh to earn the victory.
The Foresters' first hit of the game was a two-run homer to right center by senior second baseman Vasi Panos in the top of the third inning. It was the second round-tripper of the year for Panos.
After the Warhawks plated a run in the bottom of the inning, Snarski belted her second home run of the season in the fourth and junior rightfielder Tara Airola cleared the fence for the first time in 2016 in the fifth.
A Whitewater homer run in the bottom of the fifth made the score 4-2 but the Foresters regained their three-run lead on an RBI-fielder's choice groundout by McTague, the designated player at the time, in the top of the sixth.
A grand slam and a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth gave the home team a three-run lead and set up Beall's heroics in the next half-inning.
Snarski had two base hits and seven other Foresters had one in the contest.
Whitewater scored a run in the bottom of the first to take the early lead in game two.
The Foresters responded with three runs in the second on the third home run of the season for Zepeda. McTague, who had singled to lead off the inning, and sophomore designated player Jillian Rashid, were on base at the time.
The Warhawks then rallied for five runs in their half of the second inning and for two more in the third, making the score 8-3.
Lake Forest came back with a five-spot in the top of the fourth. Zepeda started the inning with a walk and advanced to third on a single by Panos. Gardner drove in Zepeda and reached base herself on an error and senior catcher Alex Hemmer followed with a run-scoring single to left. Two batters later, Beall homered for the second time on the day and third this season to tie the score at eight.
Whitewater pulled back ahead by three in the bottom of the fourth but the Foresters got all three runs back in the top of the fifth. A Rashid walk and singles by Zepeda and Panos loaded the bases. Rashid scored on a sacrifice fly by Gardner, Zepeda on a base hit to center by Snarski, and Panos when Beall reached on a throwing error by the catcher.
With darkness looming, Whitewater loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the fifth. The Foresters were able to get two outs before a throwing error plated one run and a double brought home the last two. The game was called after the inning.
Panos, Hemmer, McTague, and Zepeda each had two of Lake Forest's 10 base hits in the game.
The non-conference doubleheader split left the Foresters with a 9-10 record on the season and Whitewater at 11-6.
Lake Forest will resume Midwest Conference play at home Saturday afternoon when the team hosts Beloit College at 1:00.