A game one walk-off single was one of five hits on the day for sophomore first baseman Riley Frisbie as the Forester softball team defeated visiting Ripon College 3-2 and 13-6 on Tuesday.
Frisbie's first hit of the doubleheader was a double to right field to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning in the opener. Senior Sydney Gardner pinch-ran for her and stole third base with one out. Senior second baseman Kat Beall drew a walk and stole second. The catcher faked the throw to second and threw to third, where Gardner had strayed a little too far off the base. Caught in a rundown, Gardner broke for home and slid around the tag for the first run of the contest. Beall advanced to third on the play and scored two pitches later on a sacrifice fly by freshman designated player Shaye Gauthier.
Forester sophomore pitcher Missy Dieckman-Meyer was one strke away from a shutout in the top of the seventh before Ripon rallied for a pair of runs to tie the score.
Junior centerfielder Maria Zepeda drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the frame and stole second base on the second pitch to Frisbie. Three pitches later Frisbie hit a hard ground ball through the right side of the infield and Zepeda raced home with the winning run.
The home team out-hit the Red Hawks 7-6 in the contest.
Dieckman-Meyer struck out six batters and walked just one in the complete game victory. She improved to 6-1 on the season and 19-7 in her career.
After the teams combined for just five runs in the opener, Ripon scored six times in the top of the first inning in game two.
The Foresters began their comeback with four runs in the bottom of the second. The rally started with one out on a bunt single by Gauthier and a walk to sophomore catcher Sydney Wyatt. Gardner followed with an infield single and a late throw to second got away, scoring Gauthier and advancing runners to second and third. Zepeda singled them in, went to second on the throw home, and scored herself on a double to the gap in left by Frisbie.
Lake Forest loaded the bases for Frisbie with two outs in the third and she came through once again, singling up the middle to score two and tie the game. Freshman shortstop Hannah Kalnicky followed with another base hit up the middle, bringing home Zepeda to put the home team on top.
The Foresters added insurance runs in each of the next three innings. An infield base hit by Gauthier brought home one and Zepeda singled in two more in the fourth, making the score 10-6. A hard ground ball by Gauthier in the fifth hit first base and continued down the right field line for a two-run double. Kalnicky drove in Zepeda with the final run of the contest on a line drive to left in the sixth.
Gauthier came in as a relief pitcher in the first inning and tossed four-and-two-thirds scoreless innings, scattering three base hits and five walks. She earned her second victory in as many days and is now 4-0 on the year. Junior Kyra Lenzi came in and blanked the Red Hawks for the final two frames, allowing just one hit while striking out three.
Lake Forest had a season-high 17 hits in the contest, including three each by Zepeda, Frisbie, and Gauthier. Kalnick, Gardner, and freshman Nicole Schussler added two apiece.
Tuesday's games were the first Midwest Conference contests of the season for any team in the league. The sweep raised the Foresters' overall record on the year to 12-6 while Ripon fell to 6-14.
Lake Forest will be in action again this Saturday against the University of Wisconsin-Stout when the teams make up the doubleheader canceled by weather last Saturday. Game one will begin at 11:00 a.m.
