In the first game of the softball season, Minooka pitcher Emma Best did not hit for herself. In the next game, she did not play at all.

In the Indians’ last game, Best did hit, and she homered in her first at-bat.

Minooka coach Mark Brown liked what he saw from Best as a hitter and kept her in the lineup Friday in a nonconference game against Lincoln-Way Central. Best rewarded her coach’s confidence in her with a three-run homer in her first at-bat, then went out and shut down the Knights over six innings as the Indians came away with a 12-2 victory. Best allowed three hits and struck out five as well as going 2 for 2 with a home run, three RBIs and a walk.

“In our first game, coach Brown didn’t want me to hit because it was too cold,” Best said. “I finally got a shot [to hit], and I have hit a home run in my first at-bat in the last two games.

“Our whole lineup is super strong, so it makes it a lot easier to pitch. I know my team is probably going to score at least 5-6 runs, so I know every pitch doesn’t have to be perfect. Also, our defense is really good, so I can just throw strikes, let the other team hit it and know that the defense is going to take care of it.”

Despite some strong wind gusts blowing across the field, Best’s home run wasn’t the only one for the Indians. Minooka (3-1) slugged five homers on the day. Addison Crumly hit a pair of homers, her third and fourth already this season, while Olivia Boyd and Chloe Miner also went deep. Boyd and Crumly went back-to-back to lead off the bottom of the sixth, and Miner ended the game with a three-run shot later in the inning. The only Minooka runs that didn’t come via the long ball were in the third, when Lexi Bukala and Miner each had an RBI single.

“Our girls were ready to play today,” Brown said. “We haven’t beaten Lincoln-Way Central for the last few years, and our girls knew that. They really wanted this one. It was a little chilly, but the bats were hot.

“Emma Best was a pitcher last year and we usually hit for her. She put in a lot of work on the offseason and all winter improving her offense, and it has really showed early in the season. She also does what we ask of her on the mound. Just throw strikes, limit the big innings for the other team and let our offense work on the opposing pitcher for 21 outs. There aren’t a lot of pitchers that can get those 21 outs against our lineup.”

Lincoln-Way Central (2-2) saw starting shortstop Ellie McLaughlin, a four-year starter who is signed with Valparaiso University, go down with an injury trying to steal a base in the top of the first and she did not return. The Knights got both of their runs in the top of the fifth, getting an RBI single from Audrey Hennings and an RBI groundout by Lainey McLaughlin.

“This has been an emotional day,” Lincoln-Way Central coach Jeff Tarala said. “We did get to see three different girls pitch for us, and that’s what the early season games are for. We want to get as many girls an opportunity as possible.

“We will learn and grow from this game and continue to get better.”