The Lake Forest softball team swept its pair of games at the Midwest Conference tournament on Friday at Mohr Field, setting themselves up to play in the championship game tomorrow.
 
After winning the regular-season Midwest Conference championship, the Foresters (27-14-1, 14-2 MWC) hosted the four-team, two-day tournament as the number 1 seed and the hosts were unbeaten on the day.
 
Lake Forest defeated Grinnell College 10-2 in five innings in its first game, followed by a thrilling 4-3 walk-off victory over Illinois College in its second game.
 
Game 2: Lake Forest 10, Grinnell 2 (5 innings)
A huge fourth inning broke the game open for Lake Forest, as the Foresters scored six runs and batted around in the frame in the 10-2 win over Grinnell College in five innings.
 
Jolie DeValk and Kaylee Purgatorio both homered to provide the offensive spark for Lake Forest. Leadoff hitter Kaia Mismash reached base three times and scored three runs as the catalyst for the Foresters' offense. Cadence Dempsey and Kyla Chevalier both added a pair of hits and combined for five RBI on the game.
 
Already leading the game 3-0, Paige Ratliff got the fourth inning rolling with a ground-rule double to center field. DeValk then hit an inside-the-park home run to score both of them – her third home run of the season.
 
DeValk hit a slicing fly ball down the right field line. The ball curled away from the Grinnell right fielder the entire way and ended up in the corner down the right-field line, allowing the junior DeValk to speed around the bases and score.
 
Just two batters later, senior shortstop Kaylee Purgatorio blasted a solo home run over the fence to left-center field to extend the Foresters lead to 6-0. Dempsey nearly recorded the Foresters' third home run of the inning with a blast to right-center field, however the ball went off the top of the wall and back into play, forcing Dempsey to settle for an RBI triple.
 
Pitcher Hannah Smith (7-6) picked up the win for Lake Forest. The senior didn't allow her first hit of the game until the fourth inning and pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and two runs.
 
Game 4: Lake Forest 4, Illinois College 3
After defeating Grinnell, Lake Forest matched up with Illinois College in its second game, after the Lady Blues beat Lawrence University 12-6 in game one of the tournament. In the battle between the conference's two top teams, Lake Forest emerged with a 4-3 come-from-behind victory.
 
Mismash brought home the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning with a bunt single that brought Lia Taglia around to score on a throwing error to walk off with the win.
 
Taglia could not be stopped, as the sophomore walked three times, scored three runs, and stole three bases. Mismash was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
 
The matchup featured the two pitchers with the lowest ERA in the Midwest Conference between Lake Forest's Riley Stiles and Illinois College's Jordan Closs.
 
With a pair of aces in the circle, runs would be difficult to come by Saturday, but the Foresters scratched across a run in the bottom of the third to retie the game after the Lady Blues took a 1-0 lead in the top of the frame.
 
The second baseman Taglia drew a leadoff walk to get the inning started and promptly stole second base to put herself in scoring position. On a Kaylee Purgatorio strikeout, Taglia stole third base as well on a hustle play. That allowed Mismash to bring Taglia home on a sacrifice bunt to even the score at 1-1.
 
A pair of unearned runs in the top of the fourth gave Illinois College the advantage, but again the Foresters had a response, triggered by Taglia once again. The second baseman drew another walk and stole second base, followed by an infield single by Mismash. Dempsey delivered a massive two-run double with a laser line drive down the left-field line to plate both runners and tie the game once more.
 
Stiles (11-4) battled all game in the circle for Lake Forest. The Foresters' ace pitched a complete game, allowing just one earned run, while walking four and striking out three. The junior worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh inning to set the stage for the Forester heroics in the bottom of the inning.
 
The Foresters will finish play at the Midwest Conference tournament on Saturday at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis.
 
After sweeping both games Friday, the Foresters will face the winner of Grinnell against Illinois College in game five of the tournament, played at 10 a.m. Saturday. Lake Forest will have two games to earn one win and claim the tournament title.