The Lake Forest College softball team earned its seventh and eight conference victories of the season on Friday, sweeping a doubleheader with Grinnell College. The Foresters won decisively in both games, outscoring the Pioneers 10-3 in the opener and 11-3 in five innings in game two.
The Foresters scored early in the first game, plating two runs in the first inning on a triple by freshman Kelly Collins. The Pioneers answered with a run of their own in the top of the second.
In the top of the fourth, Lake Forest made a big play when, with a runner on second, the Grinnell batter hit a line drive to deep left field. The runner on second rounded third and headed for home, but senior Carlie Mertz's throw hit its mark and catcher Angelle Bills applied the tag to prevent the tying run from scoring.
The Foresters added to their lead with two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth and put the game to rest when junior Elena Chrisman hit a two-run home run in the sixth. It was Chrisman's third round-tripper of the season.
Freshman Hannah Smith earned another win and complete game, allowing only three runs and a walk while striking out two. In her last 19 innings pitched, she's only allowed 5 runs.
Lake Forest routed the Pioneers in the second game of the twinbill, racking up 11 runs in the first inning, including three on bases-loaded walks. Senior Josie Klein hit a double with the bases loaded on her second at-bat of the inning, driving in three and bringing the score up to 9-0. Two more Foresters came in before Grinnell was able to record the third out.
The home team would not score again, but would not need to with Mertz and junior Kristen Calhoun combining in the circle to ensure the win.
With her big double in the second game and a single in the first, Klein now has at least one base hit in 18 consecutive games. Her hitting streak is tied with Shaye Gauthier's 2019 run for the second-longest in team annals, two games shy of the record set by Tina Koludrovic in 2003.
The Foresters now sit with a 16-10 overall record and remain undefeated in conference play at 8-0. Grinnell fell to 9-14 overall and 3-3 in league play.
Lake Forest returns to the field tomorrow at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. against visiting Cornell College. It will also be the Foresters' Parents Day.
