Lake Forest split a doubleheader at Grinnell College on Saturday, falling 5-3 in the opener before taking game two by the same score for Forester Head Coach Joe Kinsella's 400th career victory.
Kinsella is 282-190-1 in his 13th year at the College. He also won 109 games in six years as the head coach at Millsaps College and nine more at Dakota Wesleyan University in 2000.
The milestone victory came after a back-and-forth game one that went Grinnell's way. After surrendering a run in the bottom of the first inning, the Foresters tied the score on an error in the top of the third. The Pioneers regained the lead with a tally in their half of the third but run-scoring singles by senior shortstop Alyssa Grimm and junior first baseman Riley Frisbie put the visitors on top 3-2 in the fifth. Grinnell tied the game in the bottom of the frame, plated a pair in the sixth, and held on for the win.
Frisbie accounted for half of Lake Forest's six base hits in the game.
Senior third baseman Emma Varsbergs gave the Forester the early lead with a run-scoring double in the third inning of game two. Grinnell, however, tied the score in the bottom of the inning, took the lead in the fourth, and added another tally in the sixth to make it 3-1. Frisbie finished off a five-hit day with a home run to lead off the top of the seventh and Grimm singled in a pair of Foresters later in the inning to put them back on top. An error allowed Grimm to come home with an insurance run to complete the scoring.
Grimm, Varsbergs, and Frisbie each had two hits in the game and senior pitcher Kyra Lenzi worked around six hits and five walks to earn the victory and improve to 4-3 on the season.
Saturday's doubleheader was the first Midwest Conference competition this season for both teams. Lake Forest is now 8-10 overall and Grinnell 4-16.
The Foresters will remain in Iowa for a doubleheader at Cornell College Sunday afternoon at 1:00.
