The Evanston Wildkits bounced back from Tuesday’s loss to Maine South with a big win over Lake Forest today.
The Kits had had 35 hits including 8 for extra bases in rolling to a 34-2 victory.
The Kits runs were scored on hits, as their bats were alive and they were not looking to walk. As visitors, they got the first chance on offense. Jenna Ehrensaft started out the offense with a single to right field.
Freshman Izzy Bergman followed with a single to left field. With runners on first and second, Emily Mathyer hit a single to the right field fence to score Ehrensaft.
After a strikeout, Allie Nortz singled to left field, and Maddie Reiches doubled to the left field wall to clear the bases.
Freshman Emma Maxwell had a banner day, which started with an RBI double in the first inning. Maxwell’s double also reached the fence, and the Kits were up 5-0.
Following another strikeout, freshman Cate Rudy walked, Jenna Ehrensaft reached safely on a slap hit and Emily Mathyer singled to left field. Caitlin Boer reached safely and Allie Nortz had a hit to right field which scored two.
Maddie Reiches then singled to left field and Emma Maxwell took a hit the opposite direction to bring in another run. Jackie Kretchmer reached base safely before the inning ended on a line drive back to the pitcher.
In the bottom of the first inning, pitcher Jenna Ehrensaft struck out the leadoff batter. The second hitter drag bunted down the line, but third baseman Maddie Reiches made a nice play to cut her down at first.
Liza Tarr, the third batter for Lake Forest, singled to left field — the first of three hits for her for the day. The next batter hit a shot down the third base line, but Maddie Reiches made another nice play to knock it down, then get to her feet and throw the batter out at first.
The top of the second brought 11 more runs for the Kits. Jenna Ehrensaft started with a single to right field. Freshman switch hitter Izzy Bergman turned around to bat lefty and ripped a single to right-center.
Emily Mathyer then reached base safely to load the bases.Caitlin Boer singled to bring in a run and keep the bases loaded. Allie Nortz singled to left field to bring in another run, and the Kits were content to move around the bases one at a time.
Maddie Reiches then came through with her second double of the game, again to left field. Emma Maxwell brought in two more runs with a double over the left fielders’ head. Jackie Kretchmer singled to left field and Cate Rudy walked.
Jenna Ehrensaft singled up the middle to bring in another run. Izzy Bergman had yet another hit to right center to bring in an RBI, and Emily Mathyer reached safely. Caitlin Boer, Allie Nortz, and Maddie Reiches all singled to bring in runs before a strikeout and a line drive to shortstop ended the inning.
In the bottom of the second inning, Jenna Ehrensaft struck out the side.
The top of the third inning brought four more runs for the Kits. Cate Rudy reached first to start the inning. After a popout, Izzy Bergman singled from the left side of the plate once again. Emily Mathyer then doubled to bring in a run.
Allie Managlia, who entered the game in the third inning, then singled to left field to bring in a run. After another out, Emma Maxwell singled to center field for another RBI. The inning ended on a ground ball to shortstop.
The bottom of the third brought a run for Lake Forest. Ehrensaft struck out the first batter, then the second batter singled. After a walk, Caroline Duke caught a line drive at shortstop for the second out. However, three consecutive hits to the outfield for Lake Forest gave them their first run. Ehrensaft then struck out a batter to end the inning.
Freshman Cate Rudy started the top of the fourth inning with a single to left field. Jenna Ehrensaft singled to right, and after a strikeout and a ground ball out, Caitlin Boer singled up the middle to bring in the only run of the inning and make sure that the Kits scored in every inning.
To start the bottom of the fourth inning, Caitlin Boer and Cate Rudy combined to make an amazing defensive play. Boer knocked down a ground ball in the hole, then turned and tossed a ball to second baseman Rudy who was running to beat the runner to first.
The umpire signaled out as Rudy caught the ball on the move and stepped on first half a step before the runner. Ehrensaft struck out the next batter before a single gave Lake Forest a runner on first. She then struck out the next batter for the last out of the inning.
After one out in the top of the fifth, Emma Maxwell continued her day with a single to left field. Jackie Kretchmer then reached safely before a ground ball gave the Kits two outs in the inning. They did not give up and continued to hit the ball with two outs.
Ehrensaft singled to bring in Maxwell and Izzy Bergman singled to right field to bring in Ehrensaft. Emily Mathyer then singled to center field to bring in another run and Caitlin Boer ripped a line drive up the middle.
After a walk and an out, Emma Maxwell doubled to left/center to complete her breakout day. The final out of the inning was made on a great play by the shortstop to field a ball up the middle and throw the runner out at first.
The bottom of the fifth was Lake Forest’s last offensive inning. They started with a single to left field. The next batter dragged a perfect bunt down the line, but Izzy Bergman threw her out by a step.
With a runner on second, Tarr hit her third hit of the day to right field to score their second run. The next batter singled to center field before Ehrensaft struck out the second out of the inning.
Another single gave Lake Forest runners on first and second. The next batter hit a hard ground ball to Cate Rudy at second, but she made the play cleanly to end the game.