The Lake Forest softball team split a doubleheader to Carthage in the home opener on Saturday at Mohr Field. The highlight for Lake Forest was a Kaylee Purgatorio walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning to propel the Lake Forest softball team to a 10-6 win over Carthage College in the second game of the doubleheader after falling 11-2 in the first game.
 
Game 1: Carthage 11, Lake Forest 2
In the Foresters' home opener, Lake Forest could not fight out of an early deficit and fell to Carthage 11-2.
 
Senior Brooke Challe (1-1) started the home opener for Lake Forest in the circle but could not find a rhythm and Carthage capitalized with an early scoring burst. The Fire Birds struck for eight runs in the top of the first, including six of them coming off Challe, who only recorded one out before being relieved by Hannah Smith.
 
Smith did an admiral job of limiting the damage in relief. The senior fired 6 2/3 innings, allowing five runs, albeit only two of them earned, while walking a pair and striking out three.
 
Junior third baseman Cadence Dempsey launched her team-high third home run of the season, a solo shot in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to 8-2.
 
The Foresters got on the board in the fourth inning. Lake Forest got singles from Kelly Collins and Emmie Nyen to start the inning, and Collins would come around to score via an RBI sacrifice fly from Kyla Chevalier.
 
Game 2: Lake Forest 10, Carthage 6 (9 innings)
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Foresters overcame another deficit to set the stage for Purgatorio's heroics.
 
Just like the first game, Lake Forest again found themselves in an early hole. Carthage struck for one run in the first and three more in the second to take an early 4-0 lead.
 
The Foresters fought back in their half of the second inning. Catcher Cheyenne Pellettiere followed up a double from Chevalier with a blistering line-drive home run to left-center field that cut the Carthage lead in half.
 
The Foresters kept the line rolling with a single from Lia Taglia, who then stole second. Taglia would turn on the speed to score from second base on a bunt single from leadoff hitter Kaia Mismash to cut the deficit to 4-3.
 
After Carthage tacked on an insurance run, the Foresters would threaten in the fifth inning, thanks to a patient attitude at the plate. Three consecutive walks loaded the bases with no one out for Pellettiere. The senior took a pitch deep to left-center but it would stay in the park for an RBI sacrifice fly to pull within 5-4.
 
Pellettiere went 3-for-3 on the game with four RBI to lead Lake Forest.
 
In the seventh inning with the Foresters trailing by two, Lake Forest used the heart of its lineup to tie the game up. Chevalier ripped an RBI double to left-center to cut the lead to 6-5, then Pellettiere followed suit with an RBI double of her own to tie the game.
 
In the ninth, the Foresters did all of their damage with two outs. Nicole Marceau reached on a single and stole second base. Taglia worked a walk and Brooke Swiecki reached on a fielding error to load the bases for Purgatorio. The senior launched her first homer of the season high into the air to left field to give Lake Forest the comeback victory.
 
Lake Forest will return to action Sunday, as the team travels on the road to Dominican University for a doubleheader.