Lake Forest College softball player Kelly Chesnut was named Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday for her performance at last Saturday's MWC Classic.
Chesnut, a junior, helped lead the Foresters to three victories in as many games on Saturday, beginning with a 10-2 triumph over St. Norbert College. She surrendered just four base hits while striking out a season-high eight batters and walking just one. Fourteen consecutive Green Knight hitters were retired between the second and sixth innings.
After defeating Carroll University 11-3, the Foresters held off Beloit College 3-1 and Chesnut again figured prominently in the victory. The Foresters scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to grab a 3-1 lead but the Buccaneers loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fifth. Chesnut came on in relief and induced a fielder's choice groundout and a popup to escape the jam. She allowed just one base hit while recording a pair of strikeouts during the final two-and-two-thirds innings to pick up her second save of the season.
Chesnut lowered her earned run average on the year to 2.82 and moved into eighth place in program history with 113 career strikeouts.
MWC Performers of the Week are selected by the league's sports information director.