Lake Forest College Sports Information
March 10th, 2002
Contact: Mike Wajerski, SID

Lake Forest Starts 2-0, Knocks Off Nation's Top-Ranked Team 
Foresters end Muskingum's 35-game winning streak
  

Nancy Findeisen shut out the defending national champs.
ORLANDO, FL - The Lake Forest College softball team got its 2002 season off to a great start with a pair of victories over top-10 teams on Sunday (March 10th). In the first game, the Foresters defeated Ithaca College 10-5 and, in the second, they collected a 1-0 win over Muskingum College, the 2001 NCAA Division III National Champion and this year's top-ranked team in a national preseason coaches' poll (USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association). Ithaca was ranked #9 in the same poll.

Against Ithaca, freshman second baseman Alissa Mildebrath (Carol Stream, IL/West Chicago), senior catcher Jenn Reifenberg (Skokie, IL/Niles West) and senior centerfielder Erin Valentour (Bolingbrook, IL/Downers Grove South) each collected two hits for the Foresters. The trio also combined for six runs scored and three batted in.

Sophomore pitcher Leigh Anne Furgerson (Carmel, IN/Westfield) went the full seven innings for the victory. Just two of the five runs were earned and Furgerson struck out five while walking just one.

Both teams had nine hits in the contest. Lake Forest hitters drew 10 walks from three Ithaca pitchers.

After Ithaca scored twice in the bottom of the first, the Foresters rallied for five runs in the top of the second. Lake Forest led 5-3 going into the fifth and outscored the Bombers 2-1 in each of the next two innings to pull away and win its season opener.

In Sunday's second game, sophomore pitcher Nancy Findeisen (Beecher, IL/ Beecher) allowed just five hits, struck out one and did not walk a batter in blanking the defending National Champions 1-0. Findeisen's second career shutout ended Muskingum's NCAA record 35-game winning streak.

The Foresters managed just four base hits themselves, and scored the game's only run in the third inning without even using one. Freshman shortstop Tina Koludrovic (Darien, IL/Downers Grove South) reached on an error to lead off the inning. Junior third baseman Robyn Slater (Granite City, IL/Granite City) hit one back to the pitcher, whose throwing error scored Koludrovic and sent Slater all the way to third. Muskingum escaped the inning with no further damage, but one run proved to be all Findeisen and the Foresters needed.

Both wins took place in Orlando, Florida, where Lake Forest and many other schools are participating in the Rebel Spring Games. The Foresters will take on Denison University, who was ranked 14th in the country in a preseason coaches poll (USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association), Tuesday (March 12th) morning and Geneva College that afternoon.

Lake Forest - Ithaca Box Score
Lake Forest - Muskingum Box Score