Box Scores

The Prairie Fire had a tough day Saturday against Judson University and Carroll University in Hanover Park, Illinois, although the team forced several three-set matches and didn't go down without a fight.

The Pioneers (2-1) swept Knox, winning 9-0.  The Fire's #1 and #2 singles players and the top two Knox doubles teams gave Carroll a good battle but came up short.

Junior Erik Hane (Littleton, Colorado), who began the day 3-1 in top flight singles play, lost to Carroll's #1 Kevin Rasmussen 6-3, 6-3.  Sophomore Sean Mulani lost his #2 singles match-up against Seth Pemperin 7-5, 6-1. 

The Prairie Fire's #3 through #6 singles players -- sophomore David Ham (Lakewood, Washington), sophomore Kenton Tilford (Rochester, Illinois), first-year Max Gatyas (Plymouth, Wisconsin) and junior Runtian Bai (Ningxia Yinchuan, China) -- playing his first match of the season -- also dropped matches against the Pioneers.

The Prairie Fire was much more competitive in doubles play. 

The #1 duo of Hane and Mulani lost 8-6 against Carroll's Pamperin and Matt Zelner.  Rasmussen and Frankie Giuffre defeated Ham and Tilford in #2 doubles.  The Pioneers' #3 doubles team of Matth Joost and John Silseth defeated Gatyas and first-year player Caleb Thompson (Galesburg, Illinois) 8-1.

The Prairie Fire also lost Judson University 8-1.The lone Knox victory was an 8-4 triumph in #1 doubles by Hane and Mulani against Judson's Reilly Good and Sones Siripanya.

The Prairie Fire was very competitive in singles play, forcing Judson (5-2) to win four of the six matches in three sets.  Hane won the first set of his #1 singles match 7-5 against Tyler Adland before dropping the next two 6-1 and 10-7.  Hane is now 3-3 in #1 singles so far this season.

Mulani also made his #2 singles opponent, Reilly Good, work in their confrontation on the court.  Good won the first set 6-2, Mulani took the second 6-3 and Good won the third 10-4.

Tilford had the closest match of the day.  Judson's Thepk Siripanya won the first set of the #4 singles match 7-5 before Tilford won 2-6 and Siripanya held off the Springfield, Illinois area native 11-9 in the third stanza.

Gatyas also had a close call in his #5 singles match with Jared Williams.  Williams won 6-3 in the first set.  Gatyas won the second 12-10 before falling 10-7 in the third set.

The losses drop the Prairie Fire to 1-4 in head-to-head competition on the young season.  Knox travels to DePere, Wisconsin next Saturday to take on University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and St. Norbert College.