The Lake Forest College softball team began Midwest Conference play with a doubleheader sweep of Grinnell College on Saturday, taking the opener 14-5 and game two 9-8.

Junior infielder Kelly Collins, who entered the day with one home run in her collegiate career, cleared the fence three times and drove in seven runs in the two games combined. She tied the opener with a two-run homer to right-center field in the bottom of the first inning and gave the home team a 6-4 lead with another two-run shot to the same spot in the second. She also singled and scored later in the contest.

Sophomore first baseman Kyla Chevalier, freshman designated player Jolie Devalk, and sophomore left fielder Brooke Swiecke had two hits apiece in the opener. Devalk's first was a run-scoring double in the fourth and she belted her first career home run in the fifth, a three-run shot that ended the game.

Lake Forest out-hit the Pioneers 13-6 in the contest.

Sophomore Kayla Collins went the distance in the circle, allowing four earned runs and striking out three. She also earned the victory in game two, allowing just two runs in four innings of relief. Collins improved to 6-1 on the season.

The Foresters pounded out 14 hits in game two, including four for freshman center fielder Kaia Mismash. She also scored four runs, the first on another game-tying homer by Collins in the bottom of the first inning.

Mismash also singled and scored during a three-run second inning. After Grinnell responded with four in the third, Mismash scored to tied the game at six on an infield single by Chevalier in the fourth and at seven on a base hit by Kelly Collins in the sixth. 

The visitors regained the lead with a run in the top of the seventh, setting up a dramatic finish in the bottom of the inning. Swiecke struck out with one away but the ball got away from the catcher and she beat the throw to first base. Kayla Collins singled through the left side but a fielder's choice off the bat of junior shortstop Kaylee Purgatorio left runners on first and second with two outs. The Foresters' speed was then on display as Mismash hit an infield single to the second baseman and freshman pinch runner Lia Taglia never stopped running from second and scored to tie the game. Purgatorio moved up to third on the play and then beat the throw home on a bunt by sophomore third baseman Cadence Dempsey for the walkoff victory.

The Foresters improved to 10-8 while Grinnell fell to 10-12 on the season.

Lake Forest's doubleheader against Cornell College, originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon, has been postponed and will be played on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. The Foresters next two games will be played at North Central College on Wednesday, beginning at 3:00 p.m.