Fort Myers, FL – Otterbein University continued a long winning streak with a 13-3 victory against the Prairie Fire on Saturday in the Gene Cusic Classic.

Knox got on the scoreboard first with a three run third inning.  Junior Jackson White (Grayslake, IL, Grayslake Central) was hit by a pitch and then stole second base.  Following a walk to senior Caleb Weaver (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg), White came around to score on a single by junior Erik Smoy (Hoffman Estates, IL, Hoffman Estates).  The Prairie Fire loaded the bases when senior Ryan Hoffman (Sugar Grove, IL, Marmion Academy) reached on an infield error.  Senior Kyle Walenga (San Francisco, CA, Waldorf) singled to drive in Weaver and Smoy for a 3-0 Knox lead.

Otterbein answered back in the home half of the third with four runs after Prairie Fire starting pitcher, junior Paul Mills (Moline, IL, Moline), retired the first two hitters in the inning.  The Cardinals (13-1) scored on three straight hits – a double, a single, and a two-run homer – to take a 4-3 lead.

Otterbein’s Wes Meadows and two relievers combined to allow just three Prairie Fire hits over the final six innings. 

The Cardinals added four runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 8-3 and plated five more in the eighth inning while finishing the game with 16 hits.

Meadows (3-0) allowed three runs, one earned, five hits, four walks, and struck out three over seven innings to pick up the victory on the mound.  The win was Otterbein’s 12th straight.

Mills (0-1) lost his first start of the season for Knox, which dropped its third consecutive game.  Mills surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits and walked a pair of batters.  Junior Bryan Leslie (Richmond, IL, Richmond-Burton) pitched the final 3 2/3 innings and gave up five runs and seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

Smoy went 2-for-4 at the plate while White was 1-for-2 with a walk.  Hoffman also reached base twice for the Prairie Fire, going 1-for-3 with a walk.

Knox (3-4) concludes play in Florida with another game against Otterbein on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time.

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