Sophomore rightfielder Alyssa Grimm's two-run double in the seventh inning tied the game and she later scored the winning run in the Lake Forest College softball team's 8-7 victory over Illinois College on Saturday. Game two of the doubleheader was halted after four innings due to rain and field conditions.
Grimm also drove in a run in the opening inning, which began with a walk to sophomore centerfielder Maria Zepeda. Junior second baseman Jillian Rashid singled in Zepeda and Grimm followed with a sacrifice bunt to plate sophomore leftfielder Abby King.
After Illinois College tied the score with a pair of runs in the top of the second, the Foresters regained the lead in the third on freshman first baseman Riley Frisbie's team-high eighth home run of the year, matching the seventh-highest total in team history.
The Lady Blues, however, pulled ahead for the first time in the contest when they scored twice in the top of the fifth.
Lake Forest pulled even in the bottom of the sixth on the third home run of the year for freshman catcher Sydney Wyatt, but Illinois College answered with three in the top of the seventh.
The game-winning rally in the bottom of the seventh began with walks to Zepeda and Frisbie. After a popout, Rashid singled in one run and advanced to second on the throw. It was the program record 46th run of the year for Zepeda. Grimm then greeted the Lady Blues' relief pitcher with a double to center field and she took third base on the play on an error on the second baseman. Wyatt then laid down a bunt and the throw to the plate was in time but dropped by the catcher when Grimm came to the plate.
The victory went to senior pitcher Jenny McTague, who became just the third player in program history to win 50 times in her career. She improved to 9-8 on the season.
Lake Forest trailed 7-2 in game two before scoring seven times with two outs in the top of the fourth. Illinois College responded with four in the bottom of the frame to take an 11-9 lead but the teams were unable to continue play due to rain and field conditions. Forester junior shortstop Kat Beall belted a pair of home runs and Frisbie also went yard, although the stats will not count because the game was not completed.
Because the only thing at stake in the halted game was seeding in next weekend's Midwest Conference Tournament, the game will not be finished. The Foresters finished the regular season with a 21-14 overall record and a 12-5 mark in league play. Illinois College is 21-14 overall and a game ahead of Lake Forest at 13-4 in conference play.
The Foresters will be the #4 seed in the MWC Tournament and will face league champion and tourney host St. Norbert College in the first round of the double-elimination event next Friday at noon.