Forester sophomore pitcher Jessi Werner did not allow a hit in Saturday's 8-0, 5-inning victory over Beloit College. Lake Forest also defeated Lawrence University 4-2 for the team's fourth victory in as many games at the Midwest Conference Classic in East Peoria, Illinois.
Werner's no-hitter was the seventh in the program's history and the first in nearly four years. She struck out six Buccaneers, surrendered a pair of walks, and hit four batters in the contest. Werner is now 9-3 with a 1.91 earned run average on the season.
The Foresters belted three home runs in the game, beginning with back-to-back bombs in the bottom of the first inning by senoir shortstop Sam Ritsema and sophomore catcher Sally Snarski. Ritsema's homer was her second of the year and 15th of her career, tying her with junior Whitney Leiderman and 2005 graduate Alyssa Mildebrath for fourth place in team history. Snarski is quickly moving up the same list in her first year on the team. Her team-high ninth home run of 2014 is just two shy of the single-season school record.
Lake Forest added three more runs in the second. Sophomore third baseman Kaleigh Ambrose hit a leadoff double and scored on an errant throw by the catcher on her steal of third base. Junior rightfielder Kayla Borgra hit a two-run homer later in the inning. Her third round-tripper of the season gave the Foresters a 5-0 lead.
Ambrose singled, stole another base, and scored on a triple by sophomore second baseman Vasi Panos in the fourth inning. Junior leftfielder Audrey Djukic singled in Panos and eventually came home with the final run of the game on a base hit by Ritsema.
Lawrence took the early lead in Lake Forest's second game of the day, plating one in the top of the first inning.
The Foresters finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth when a base hit by sophomore Alex Hemmer brough home Borgra and Ritsema, who had also singled in the inning.
Borgra drew a two-out walk and scored on a Snarski single in the fifth.
After the Vikings closed to within a run in the top of the sixth, the Foresters regained their two-run cushion in the bottom of the frame. Hemmer hit a one-out single and was replaced on the bases by freshman Sam Rosenfeld, who advanced to third on a double by Ambrose and scored on a wild pitch.
Freshman pitcher Jenny McTague scattered six base hits in the contest and struck out four batters. Just one of the two runs she allowed was earned and she improved to 8-1 with a 1.28 ERA on the year.
After winning twice at the MWC Classic for the second day in a row, Lake Forest is now 18-4 overall and 10-0 in league play. Beloit fell to 4-18 overall and 1-4 in the conference while Lawrence's overall record dropped to 11-6 and MWC mark to 2-1.
The Foresters will play their final game of the weekend against St. Norbert College at 10:00 a.m.
