The Lake Forest College softball team was victorious against Ripon College in a doubleheader, outscoring the Red Hawks 6-0 and 7-6. They were the first Midwest Conference games of the year for the Foresters.
Junior Carlie Mertz recorded the win in the first game for the Foresters. It was her first complete game shoutout for the season. She allowed just eight hits and faced 30 batters.
Sophomore Brie Gauthier scored what would be the winning run for the Foresters in the second inning when she got on base in the second inning with a single to third base; she went on to steal second. Junior Hayley Boylan brought Gauthier home on a double two batters later. Mertz also contributed in the batter's box with a double leading off the third inning; she went 3-for-2 when she doubled to center field, batting in the sixth and final run of the game for the Foresters.
In the second game of the series, the Foresters got on the board in the bottom of the first with an RBI double by sophomore Melissa Manzo. They went on to score two more runs in the inning.
After getting into a 6-3 deficit in the third inning, Brie Gauthier came in from left field to pitch for junior Meghan Joyce. Gauthier would pitch the rest of the game, allowing no hits and no runs and striking out four batters.
In the bottom of the third, the Foresters clinched the win when junior Josie Klein hit a three-run homerun; it was Klein's first home run of the season. Mertz went 3-for-3 in this game, hitting three singles and batting in a run. Sophomore Elena Chrisman also had a great game at the plate, batting 3-2 and scoring three runs for the Foresters.
The Foresters are now 11-3 on the season. They will play at St. Norbert College on Sunday, April 18; the doubleheader begins at 1:00 PM.