Lake Forest College Sports Information
May 19, 2002
Contact: Mike Wajerski, SID

Lake Forest Wins Twice, Advances to NCAA Championship Game
Reifenberg hits team's second walk-off home run in as many days
  

 Jenn Reifenberg's walk-off homer ended Emory's season.
EAU CLAIRE, WI - The Lake Forest College softball team won its fourth and fifth games in the last three days at the 2002 NCAA Championship Tournament, hosted by UW-Eau Claire. In the Foresters' first game on Sunday (May 19th), they eliminated Emory University by a score of 1-0. In game two, they triumphed over Ithaca College, 4-2. Ithaca and Lake Forest will play again on Monday (May 20th) at 11:00 AM with the victor claiming the 2002 NCAA Division III National Championship.

Against Emory, the Foresters managed just two base hits. The first was a harmless two-out single by freshman shortstop Tina Koludrovic (Darien, IL/Downers Grove South) in the sixth inning. The second came on the first pitch of the bottom of the seventh, when senior catcher Jenn Reifenberg (Skokie, IL/Niles West) hit her fourth home run of the season to end the game. It marked the second straight victory for Lake Forest that ended with a walk-off homer.
 
Starting pitcher Leigh Anne Furgerson (Carmel, IN/Westfield) held Emory to just three hits in five shutout innings. The sophomore struck out five before giving way to fellow sophomore Nancy Findeisen (Beecher, IL/ Beecher), who threw two perfect innings and was credited with the victory.

Findeisen got the start in the win over Ithaca, and went the distance to raise her record on the year to 19-6. She allowed two runs (one earned) on seven base hits and struck out four, giving her 156 for the season.

Lake Forest got on the scoreboard first with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. With one out, senior centerfielder Erin Valentour (Bolingbrook, IL/Downers Grove South) and freshman second baseman Alissa Mildebrath (Carol Stream, IL/West Chicago) each singled and junior Megan Gibson's (Brown Deer, WI/Brown Deer) double scored them both.

In the fourth, consecutive one-out singles by senior Chris Laurine (Richmond, IL/Richmond-Burton), senior Kristin Brand (McHenry, IL/McHenry West), and junior Shanon Joselane (Glendale Heights, IL/Glenbard East) brought home the team's third run. With two out, Mildebrath singled to drive in Joselane with the team's fourth and final score of the game.

Ithaca, who left eight runners on base, scored one run in the bottom of the fourth and another in the fifth.

Lake Forest (34-11) and Ithaca (36-13) played each other on the first day of the season (the Foresters won 10-5 on March 10th) and will now meet again in the final game of the year.

Lake Forest - Emroy Box Score
Lake Forest - Ithaca Box Score
NCAA National Championship Tournament Web Site