Lake Forest College Sports Information
May 13, 2002
Contact: Mike Wajerski, SID

Lake Forest Wins Regional Championship, Advances to NCAA National Tourney
Eight teams will battle for 2002 NCAA National Championship
  

 Leigh Anne Furgerson threw
a two-hit shutout in the Championship Game.
BLOOMINGTON, IL - With a 2-0 triumph over Benedictine University Monday (May 13th) afternoon, the Lake Forest College softball team has claimed the NCAA Regional Championship in its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Foresters had defeated Webster University on Friday (May 10th) by a score of 8-0 and had sent Benedictine to the losers' bracket of the six-team, double-elimination tournament on Sunday (May 12th) with a 7-1 win. Benedictine eliminated Webster Monday morning with a 2-0 victory.

In the championship game, pitcher Leigh Anne Furgerson (Carmel, IN/Westfield) made her first start of the tournament and turned in a masterful performance. The sophomore forced 15 groundouts, struck out one and did not issue a walk in the two-hit shutout, her second of the season. She now has a 12-4 record on the year and a 1.23 earned run average. Furgerson and fellow sophomore pitcher Nancy Findeisen (Beecher, IL/ Beecher) combined for a 3-0 record and a 0.35 ERA in 20 innings of work at the tournament. Findeisen, who started and won the team's first two games, was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Both Lake Forest runs were unearned and came in the bottom of the fourth inning. After a pair of Benedictine errors, senior rightfielder Chris Laurine (Richmond, IL/Richmond-Burton) drove in the game's first run with a two-out RBI single. The second score came on a wild pitch.

Joining Findeisen on the 15-member All-Regional Tournament Team were seniors Jenn Reifenberg (Skokie, IL/Niles West) and Kristin Brand (McHenry, IL/McHenry West), junior Robyn Slater (Granite City, IL/Granite City), and freshman Alissa Mildebrath (Carol Stream, IL/West Chicago). Both Reifenberg and Slater had three hits in nine at-bats and drew a pair of walks in the tournament. Brand led the Foresters with a .500 (3-for-6) batting average and her three runs scored were tied for the team-lead with Mildebrath, who batted .455 (5-for-11) with a double, the team's first triple of the season, and two RBI.

The regional champs out-scored their opponents 17-1 in the three tournament games. Lake Forest batted .345 in the tourney while its foes hit just .197. Forester pitchers struck out 12 batters and issued only one base on balls while the hitters whiffed just nine times and drew 10 walks.

Lake Forest, who has won 14 of its last 15 games, is now 29-10 on the season. The Foresters will be one of eight teams in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this week for the 2002 NCAA Division III National Tournament. Their first game will be against Emory University (41-8) at 4:00 PM on Thursday (May 16th). The winner of that game will play again Friday (May 17th) at 6:30 PM while the loser plays Friday afternoon at 1:30. The double-elimination tournament will last at least four days and will take place at Gelein Field in Carson Park.

Box Score
Tournament Page