Freshman Maddie Webb threw two-and-two-thirds innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory in the Forester softball team's 2-1 9-inning triumph in game two of Saturday's doubleheader at Illinois College.
Webb entered a tie game with runners on first and second and just one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. After inducing a popout and groundout to send the game into extra innings, she kept the Lady Blues off the scoreboard for two more frames to improve to 5-2 with a 2.55 earned run average on the season.
The Foresters scored what proved to be the winning run in the top of the ninth inning. Sophomore first baseman Riley Frisbie led off with a double and Webb followed with a base hit to left, sending sophomore pinch-runner Quinn Jagodzinski to third. Freshman shortstop Hannah Kalnicky followed with a sacrifice fly to regain the lead for the visitors.
Lake Forest had scored the first run of the contest on the team-high third home run of the season by sophomore catcher Sydney Wyatt in the fifth inning.
Forester freshman pitcher Shaye Gauthier was just two outs away from a shutout when Illinois College plated an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh. She scattered seven singles and a pair of walks while striking out three. Gauthier's earned run average on the season dropped to a team-best 1.52.
The opener of the doubleheader was also an extra inning affair.
The home team scored the first run of the contest in the bottom of the opening inning and the score remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth. Wyatt led off the frame with a single but was forced out at second on a ground ball off the bat of junior rightfielder Abby King. King stole second and came around to score on a double by junior centerfielder Maria Zepeda, who had three base hits in the contest.
After surrendering the run in the first, Forester sophomore pitcher Missy Dieckman-Meyer held the Lady Blue scoreless until the bottom of the eighth. She exited the game with two on a two out in the frame and a walk and hit by pitch gave the home team the walk-off victory.
The doubleheader split left Lake Forest with a 19-9 overall record and kept the Foresters atop the Midwest Conference standings at 7-1 in league play. Illinois College is 15-9 overall and 7-3 in the conference.
Lake Forest will play another MWC twinbill at Monmouth College Sunday afternoon at 1:00.
