Foresters Sweep Aurora University, Extend Winning Streak to 10 Games
Closson saves both victories 
  

Ashley Closson saved both victories on Wednesday.

In the opener, senior Leigh Anne Furgerson (Carmel, IN/Westfield) pitched the first five innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits and striking out five. Sophomore Ashley Closson (Murphysboro, IL/Murphysboro) threw the final two innings, surrendering one hit and striking out one to record her first save of the year. Furgerson leads the team with her 9-2 record and is tied with Closson for the team lead in strikeouts (45).

Aurora got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Lake Forest responded with all four of their runs in the fifth. Back-to-back doubles by freshman Kristen Proffitt (Des Plaines, IL/Maine West) and junior Hannah Stark (Aurora, IL/Aurora West) tied the score. Junior Justeen Streich (Arlington Heights, IL/Hersey) followed with an RBI single and a base hit by freshman Erin Watts (Evergreen Park, IL/Evergreen Park) put runners on the corners with two outs. Junior Kristen Feeney (Brookfield, IL/Lyons Township) cleared the bases with her first triple of the year, knocking in the team’s third and fourth runs of the inning. Feeney and Streich finished the game with a pair of base hits in four at-bats and Stark was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

The home team rallied to score a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth but, with two on and two outs, Furgerson recorded her fifth strikeout of the game to retire the side and help preserve the 4-3 win.

The Foresters scored a couple of runs in the second inning of game two and added three more in the fifth in a 5-1 win. Proffitt pitched 6-1/3 innings, struck out five, and surrendered just one run on seven hits to record the victory. Closson retired the final two batters of the game to notch her second save of the day.

Lake Forest took advantage of back-to-back errors in the top of the second when Watts knocked her teammates in with a double. In the fifth, two singles and an error loaded the bases for Proffitt, whose single drove in two. With runners on second and third, freshman Stacey Nadelhoffer singled (Evergreen Park, IL/Evergreen Park) to record her first career RBI. Proffitt and Watts, who was 2-for-4 in the game, each tallied a pair of RBI in the win.

The Foresters will participate in the Midwest Conference Classic in Janesville, Wisconsin, this weekend (April 17-18). Lake Forest, 6-0 in the conference, will play St. Norbert College (11:00 a.m.), Beloit College (2:00 p.m.), and Carroll College (4:00 p.m.) on Saturday. The team will also take on Lawrence University (11:00 a.m.) and Ripon College (1:00 p.m.) on Sunday.

Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2