PICTURED ABOVE: Emily Bonga belted three doubles on Saturday.
Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton softball team hosted Lake Forest College on Saturday for a non-conference doubleheader. The Foresters rallied to defeat the Thunder 7-4 in the first game and Lake Forest managed a 7-4 victory in the second game to secure the sweep. Wheaton is now 6-7 on the year, while Lake Forest improves to 11-3 on the season.
Lake Forest was a 7-4 victor in the first game as the Foresters scored seven runs, on seven hits, with two errors and Wheaton plated four runs, on five hits, with one error. Thunder starting pitcher
Katie Thornton (4-4) worked 6-2/3 innings as she allowed seven runs, including six earned runs, on six hits with six strikeouts and three walks.
Abby Butler worked a third of an inning of relief, allowing one hit with no runs. Thunder leftfielder
Alyssa Leonard was 2-for-3 at the plate, including a double with one run scored.
Megan Neuhaus led off the bottom of the first inning with a single and scored three batters later on a RBI-groundout by Thornton. Wheaton extended its lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the second as
Emily Bonga hit a leadoff double and scored on a groundout by
Julia Arthur. Thornton and
Christina Sandstedt each drove in a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to increase the hosts' lead to 4-0. The Foresters cut Wheaton's lead to 4-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning. Lake Forest rallied with five runs in the top of the seventh inning to take the 7-4 lead and earn the eventual win.
Lake Forest scored early in the second game of the twinbill to earn the 7-4 win as the guests scored seven runs on 10 hits, with three errors and Wheaton tallied four runs, on 10 hits with no errors. Starting pitcher
Kendall Kehres (3-3) worked 4-1/3 innings as she allowed five runs, on seven hits, with two walks and one strikeout.
Abby Butler pitched two innings of relief as she allowed two runs on three hits. Thornton worked 2/3 of an inning of scoreless relief. Thornton was 3-for-4 at the plate. Bonga was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles as she drove in two runs and scored one run.
The Forester scored twice in the top of the first inning and added two more runs in the top of the third inning to take a 4-0 lead. Lake Forest scored one run in the top of the fourth inning, however, Wheaton countered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut the LFC lead to 5-3. Wheaton's offensive outburst in the fourth inning was highlighted by a two-run double for Bonga.
The Foresters scored twice in the top of the sixth inning to increase the guests' lead to 7-3. A RBI-double by
Becky Leone drove in Bonga in the bottom of the seventh inning, however, the Wheaton rally stalled and the Foresters emerged with the 7-4 win.
Wheaton will return to action on March 26 when Saint Mary's (Ind.) visits the Thunder for a doubleheader at Ruth Leedy Field.
