Junior pitcher Jenny McTague tossed the fourth perfect game in program history in a 1-0 Forester victory over visiting Carroll University in game two of Saturday's doubleheader. Lake Forest also defeated the Pioneers 8-1 in the opener.
McTague struck out eight batters and fielded four ground balls herself. The only ball to leave the infield was a fly to left field for the second out in the seventh inning. It was the 16th no-hitter in team annals but the first with a 1-0 final score. McTague had perfect game bids broken up in the fifth inning twice in the last two-and-a-half weeks and has now allowed two or fewer base hits in four of her last seven starts.
The only run of the contest was a home run by sophomore shortstop Kat Beall to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning. She tied senior first baseman Sally Snarski for the team lead with her fifth round-tripper of the year. Beall and senior catcher Alex Hemmer each had two of the home team's five base hits in the game.
Hemmer also had a pair of hits in the opener, including a home run in the bottom of the first inning to give Lake Forest a 1-0 lead. It was Hemmer's third homer of the season and 20th of her career, tying her with Sam Ritsema for fourth place in program history. In addition, the run batted in was the 100th in Hemmer's career, making her just the seventh Forester to reach that milestone.
The Foresters doubled their lead in the bottom of the second on sophomore centerfielder Sydney Gardner's first home run of the year and another solo homer by Snarski in the third made the score 3-0. Gardner is the 10th player on the team to clear the fence at least once this season.
After a Carroll home run in the top of the fourth trimmed the margin to two runs, Gardner broke the game open with a grand slam to right-center in the fifth. Hemmer had walked to lead off the inning, Snarski singled to center with one out, and Beall beat out a bunt single to load the bases. Gardner became the 20th player in school history to belt multiple home runs in a game.
Hemmer singled in Panos in the sixth for the final run of the contest.
Lake Forest senior pitcher Jessi Werner allowed just four base hits in the complete game victory while striking out 11 batters and walking just two. It was her third double-digit strikeout performance this year and the 16th in her career. Werner is now 9-4 this season and her 51 career wins are tied with Forester Athletic Hall of Famer Leigh Anne Furgerson for first place in program history.
The doubleheader sweep raised Lake Forest's overall record on the season to 15-10 and Midwest Conference mark to 9-1. Carroll fell to 14-10 overall and 5-3 in the league.
The Foresters will host a doubleheader against Knox College Sunday afternoon at 1:00. It will be Parents Day and the Lake Forest parents will be recognized between games.
