Lake Forest College Sports Information
May 6, 2006
Contact: Mike Wajerski, SID

Lake Forest Claims Fifth Consecutive Midwest Conference Title
Foresters come back to defeat Grinnell in Championship Game 
  

The Foresters have claimed the MWC title in each of head coach Tina Johnson's three seasons.

Sophomore Kendra Grant (Bothell, WA/Bothell) recorded her fourth shutout of the season in Lake Forest’s victory over Lawrence. She allowed a career-low two base hits, struck out one, and did not walk a batter in the contest. She is now 11-3 on the season with a 1.73 earned run average.

The Foresters scored their first two runs on a bases-loaded single by senior Ashley Closson (Murphysboro, IL/Murphysboro) with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The home team doubled its lead on a two-run home run by junior Lisa Jeziorny (Orland Park, IL/Carl Sandburg) in the bottom of the sixth. It was her sixth round-tripper of the season.

Closson was in the pitcher’s circle on Friday against Grinnell. She surrendered just two unearned runs, one in the first inning and one in the last, on five base hits while striking out six batters and walking four.

Lake Forest trailed 1-0 until the top of the fourth inning. Senior Melissa Wegner (Chicago, IL/Lane Tech) singled to lead off the frame and later scored her school record 111th career run on a groundout by sophomore Christy Condon (Brookfield, WI/Brookfield East). A two-out double by Jeziorny then drove in freshman Anna Risi (Highland Park, IL/Highland Park) with the lead run. Risi doubled with one out in the sixth inning and scored a single by junior Erin Watts (Evergreen Park, IL/Evergreen Park). Junior Jenny Riddle’s (Bloomington, IL/Normal) two-out double later in the frame drove in both Watts and Condon and gave the Foresters a 5-1 lead. Freshman Alex Charron (Calgary, AB/Lord Beaverbrook) led off the seventh inning with a pinch-hit double and scored on a Wegner single. Wegner and Risi, who also singled, then scored on another double by Jeziorny.

Grinnell began the tournament with a 2-0 victory over Ripon College. Ripon then ousted Lawrence with an eight-inning 4-3 win Friday afternoon. Grinnell eliminated Ripon (4-2 in eight innings) Saturday morning to reach the championship round.

The Pioneers ended Grant’s six-game winning streak early Saturday afternoon. They scored three unearned runs in the top of the first inning and added one in the fifth.

Lake Forest plated its only run of the game in the sixth on an RBI single by Condon, who had two of the team’s four base hits in the game.

Grinnell took the early lead again in the final game with two runs in the top of the second off Closson, who held the visitors scoreless the rest of the way to raise her record on the year to 8-5.

The Foresters finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth. Watts walked to lead off the inning and scored on a Condon double. Condon advanced to third on a fly to right field and scored on a suicide squeeze by Closson. Wegner singled to lead off the seventh inning, stole second, and scored the winning run on Erin Watts’ double to the left field corner. It was the school record 52nd base hit of the season for Watts, who is now just one RBI shy of the career mark of 100 set by assistant coach Robyn Slater '03.

Lake Forest will make its fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and third in a row under head coach Tina Johnson. The tournament selection will occur on Sunday (May 7) and regional brackets will be released on Monday (May 8). NCAA Regional Tournaments will begin on Thursday (May 11).