The Forester softball team won the opener 5-3 and game two 9-1 in five innings at Lawrence University on Sunday, improving to 7-1 in Midwest Conference play this season.
While the games were played at Lawrence, Lake Forest was the home team in both contests.
Most of the scoring in game one occurred in the third inning. After the Vikings took the lead with one in the top of the frame, the Foresters responded with four in their half. Senior second baseman Shaye Gauthier and junior designated player Carlie Mertz each singled in a run, a wild pitch brought in another, and the fourth came on a fielders choice off the bat of junior catcher Hailey Boylan.
Lake Forest added to its lead when junior center fielder Josie Klein belted her second home run of the season in the fourth.
Lawrence added a run in the fifth and another in the seventh but were unable to complete the comeback off Forester junior pitcher Maddie Webb, who improved to 4-1 on the year. Webb struck out two, walked two, and surrendered three runs on six hits in the contest. She was also 2-for-3 at the plate.
Mertz was the pitcher in the second game and matched Webb's 2-for-3 performance offensively. She struck out a season-high six batters while allowing just one run on six hits and a walk in the 5-inning contest. It was the fifth victory in six decisions for Mertz, who also leads the team in hitting with a .512 average.
Klein and senior shortstop Hannah Kalnicky also had two hits in game two, which also began with Lawrence scoring a run in the top of the first inning.
The Foresters pulled ahead in the second when two runs came home on an error by the Viking second baseman.
After scoring four times in the third inning of game one, Lake Forest put six runs on the board in the same inning of game two. Mertz doubled in the first run and came home on a base hit by Klein. Three more scored on a single by Kalnicky, who came home herself on a hit by freshman Melena Stemmler.
The contest ended when a base hit by Kalnicky in the bottom of the fifth drove in her season-high fourth run of the game.
The victories raised Lake Forest's overall record on the season to 16-4 while Lawrence fell to 3-15 overall and 2-8 in the league.
The Foresters will travel to Ripon College next Saturday before hosting Beloit College on Sunday. Both doubleheaders will begin at 1:00 p.m.
