The Lake Forest College softball team defeated Beloit College 11-2 in five innings and 9-1 in six at home on Wednesday.
The Foresters had nine extra base hits in the doubleheader, including two triples and a home run by junior Josie Klein, who also made her first career appearances at shortstop. Junior Carlie Mertz was 4-for-6 with two doubles and a triple at the plate to raise her team-high batting average on the season to .534.
After scoring five times in one inning and six in another while sweeping Beloit on Sunday, Lake Forest plated seven in the bottom of the first inning of Wednesday's opener. A bases-loaded walk to senior second baseman Shaye Gauthier and an error by the Beloit shortstop scored the first two runs, senior catcher Nicole Schussler singled in two more, and a double by senior right fielder Erin Karasewski drove in the last two of the rally.
The Buccaneers scored once in the second and third innings to trim the lead to four runs but the Foresters pulled away with Klein's homer in the bottom of the third and run-scoring singles by sophomore third baseman Melissa Manzo and Gauthier in the fourth. Gauthier came home with the game's final run on Klein's first triple of the day.
Lake Forest sophomore Kristen Calhoun was victorious in her first appearance of the year as a pitcher. She allowed just one earned run and two hits while striking out and walking one apiece in four innings in the circle. Sophomore Brie Gauthier struck out a pair of hitters in a scoreless fifth to close out the contest.
Three pitchers tossed two innings each and combined for nine strikeouts in game two. Shaye Gauthuier made the start and struck out three while surrendering the Buccaneers' only run. Senior Maddie Webb recorded a pair of strikeouts in each of her two innings of work and earned the victory to improve to 6-1 on the season and 5-0 against Beloit in her career. Mertz allowed just one baserunner while striking out two in the final two frames.
After Beloit took the the early lead with a run in the top of the first, the Foresters plated four in their half of the inning and added four more in the second. A Beloit throwing error brought home the home team's first run and a double steal of second by Shaye Gauthier and home by Mertz gave Lake Forest the lead. A double by Webb and triple by Klein scored two more to complete the first rally. Scoring plays in the second included a run-scoring single by Manzo, and two-run triple by Mertz, and another throwing error by the Bucs.
The score remained 8-1 until a run-scoring double by Mertz in the sixth ended the game.
Lake Forest is now 21-5 on the season while Beloit fell to 15-13. The games did not count toward either team's Midwest Conference record.
The Foresters will resume league play against visiting St. Norbert College Saturday afternoon at 1:00. The teams are currently tied atop the MWC North Division standings at 10-2 in the league and either squad could clinch a spot in the MWC Championship Series by sweeping the doubleheader. Lake Forest will close out the regular season at Lawrence University on Sunday.
