The Lake Forest College softball team's Midwest Conference title defense began with a pair of victories over Knox College at home on Friday. The Foresters took the opener 15-7 in six innings before winning game two 7-3.
Four different Foresters had three base hits on the day. Junior first baseman Teagan Delarwelle was one of them and her first career home run put the Foresters on top 3-1 in the bottom of the first inning in game one. Junior catcher Angelle Bills tripled in a pair of runs and scored on a base hit by freshman center fielder Emmie Nyen later in the frame as Lake Forest jumped out to a 6-1 lead.
Knox, however, plated five in the top of the second to tie the score. Forester sophomore pitcher Brooke Challe came on in relief to get the final out of the inning and went the rest of the way, allowing just one run on three hits in four-and-a-third innings of work. It was her first victory of the season.
The home team regained the lead with four scores in the bottom of the second. Sophomore designated player Cheyenne Pallettiere, senior right fielder Elena Chrisman, and Nyen had run-scoring hits in the rally.
Delarwelle doubled in a run in the third, sophomore shortstop Kaylee Purgatorio had an RBI triple in the fourth, and a groundout off the bat of sophomore Ailee Pederson brought home another in the sixth. Freshman third baseman Cadence Dempsey finished off the contest with a two-run single in the sixth.
Nyen was 3-for-3, Chrisman 2-for-2, and Delarwelle 2-for-4 in the contest.
Freshman pitcher Kayla Collins led the Foresters in the circle and at the plate in game two. She kept the Prairie Fire off the scoreboard and surrendered just three base hits in the game's first five innings. She also had a two-run single in the first inning and a two-run double in the third.
Dempsey doubled in Purgatorio and scored on a hit by freshman second baseman Kyla Chevalier earlier in the opening frame and freshman third baseman Alexa Paulsberg belted her first career homer in the fourth to make the score 7-0.
Knox scored two unearned runs in the sixth and one in the seventh and had the tying run on deck when Lake Forest freshman Morgan Traxinger escaped the jam to complete her two-inning collegiate debut in the circle.
Chrisman finished the day 3-for-3, Collins 3-for-4, Nyen 3-for-6, and Delarwelle 3-for-7.
The victories raised the Foresters' overall record to 12-6 while Knox fell to 4-16 overall and 0-4 in the league.
Lake Forest will continue conference play against visiting Illinois College Saturday afternoon at 1:00. The Foresters were the top team in the 2023 MWC Preseason Coaches Poll while the Lady Blues ranked second.
