The Lake Forest College softball team split its first two home games of the season on Thursday, blanking Elmhurst College 7-0 in game two after falling 11-4 in the opener.

Three of the Foresters' four runs in the opener scored on sophomore catcher Kyla Chevalier's third home run of the season. Her line drive to left field easily cleared the outfield fence and made the score 6-4 in favor of the Bluejays after three innings of play.

Elmhurst responded with four runs in the top of the fourth and added one more in the sixth.

Lake Forest sophomore third baseman Cadence Dempsey was 2-for-2 and scored twice in the contest.

After out-hitting the Foresters 8-6 in the opener, Elmhurst was held without a base hit by sophomore Kayla Collins for the first five-and-two-thirds innings of game two. After allowing back-to-back singles, she escaped the jam and eventually finished off her second shutout of the season, a two-hitter. Collins improved to 4-0 with a 1.40 earned run average on the year.

Lake Forest's defense also made significant contributions to the shutout with an error-free performance. The second inning was especially impressive. Junior shortstop Kaylee Purgatorio cut off a ground ball headed up the middle and fired to first for the first out. A line drive on the next pitch sent freshman center fielder Mismash back and to her left to make the catch and, a pitch later, she charged in to make a diving catch to end the inning.

The game was scoreless until the home team plated six runs in the bottom of the third inning. Dempsey singled in the first run and scored the second on a bunt single by freshman right fielder Jolie Devalk. A throwing error on the same play brought Chevalier home and consecutive run-scoring singles by junior designated player Cheyenne Pellettiere, senior catcher Angelle Bills, and Mismash completed the rally.

Chevalier walked, stole second, and scored the final run of the game on a single by sophomore left fielder Brooke Swiecke in the fourth.

Junior second baseman Kelly Collins was 2-for-3 and seven other Foresters had a hit in the game.

Lake Forest is now 7-7 and Elmhurst 7-9 this season.

The Foresters will host Illinois Wesleyan University on Saturday with the first pitch of the doubleheader opener scheduled for 1:00 p.m.