APPLETON, Wis. — Jenny McTague and Jessi Werner combined on a two-hit shutout to lead Lake Forest College to a 3-0 win over Lawrence University on Friday in a winners’ bracket game at the Midwest Conference Tournament.
McTague allowed two hits over 5.1 innings to get the win at Whiting Field. She struck out five and walked two. Werner threw 1.2 innings of hitless relief, striking out four and walking none, to get the save.
The win puts Lake Forest (30-8) in Saturday’s conference championship game at noon. Lawrence (27-11) faces Carroll University in an elimination game at 10 a.m., with the winner moving on to face the Foresters for the title.
Lawrence starter Liz Barthels was solid as she allowed just two earned runs on six hits while going the distance.
Lake Forest got two runs in the fourth after Alex Hemmer and Sally Snarksi got back-to-back, one-out hits. A ground out and single scored both runs and the Foresters led 2-0. Lake Forest added an unearned run in the fifth for the final margin.
Lawrence had two great scoring chances but couldn’t cash in. The Vikings had runners at second and third with no outs in the second, but McTague then struck out the next three hitters. The Vikings had runners at first and second with one out in the sixth, but Werner came in and struck out the next two hitters to end the threat.