The Monmouth College softball team finished the season on Sunday with two home losses against Midwest Conference champion Lake Forest. The Fighting Scots (6-32, 2-14) lost 2-0 and 6-1 as the Foresters clinched the outright conference title.
Lake Forest scored an unearned run off Monmouth starter Lizzie Durfee (Arlington, Washington) in the first with a 2-base error and a single. They added a run in the third with a single, stolen base and a 2-out double.
Monmouth got their first hit of the game in the fifth when MacKenzie Gerard (Jacksonville, Illinois) led off with a single. Kendall Lewis (Cambridge, Illinois) singled but three straight outs ended the inning with runners on the corners.
The Scots got something going in the sixth as Brooklyn Manners (Burleson, Texas) led off with a single. With one out, Shelby Covey (Peoria, Illinois) walked but two straight flyouts ended the inning. Monmouth went in order in the seventh.
Durfee (1-10) took the loss despite allowing just one earned run in a complete game seven innings. She struck out four and did not issue a walk.
GAME TWO
Lake Forest took the lead in the second inning of game two against Monmouth starter Alyssa Hefflefinger (Olin, Iowa). A lead off double, stolen base and error put the Foresters on top before they left a runner at second.
Karliegh Ashby (Monmouth, Illinois) singled with one out in the third and Grace Wyman (Pekin, Illinois) singled to center but a double play ended the inning. Lake Forest pushed the lead to 3-0 with a solo home run and a RBI groundout in the fourth.
Lewis got the Scots on the board in the fourth with her first home run of the season. The senior hit a solo homer with two outs in the inning, cutting the LFC lead to 3-1.
Lake Forest added a run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth and two more runs in the sixth. Wyman singled for the Scots in the sixth inning and moved up on an error but she was stranded at second base. Liz Waymire (Havana, Illinois) and Ashley Juerjens (Delavan, Illinois) both singled in the seventh but were left on base as the Foresters won 6-1.
Hefflefinger (3-10) took the loss despite a complete game. She allowed six runs over seven innings with one strikeout.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Lewis had hits in both games … She hit her seventh career home run and first since 2023 … The seven homers are tied for ninth on the MC career list … With 55 career RBI she finishes tied for 13th on the Monmouth career list … Lewis played in 140 games, fifth most in Monmouth history … Ashby moved into fifth on the single-season at-bats list with 126 … She also finished 18th on the single-season hits list with 41 … Ashby led the Scots this season in AB (126), runs (21), hits (41), steals (8) and doubles (7)…Wyman led the team with three triples … Gerard also had seven doubles and led the team with 17 RBI … Lewis lead the team with 12 walks and seven hit by pitches … Durfee has 99 career strikeouts.. … She is 10th in games started with 39 … Durfee has eight career complete games … She has gone at least five innings in four of her last five starts … She led the team in innings pitched (77.2) and strikeouts (46)…Hefflefinger led the Scots with seven complete games on the season and three wins..She has gone at least five innings in five straight starts since returning from injuryLake Forest leads the all-time series 48-21 with eight straight wins.
***Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
