Game #1 box score
Game #2 box score
Eureka, IL – The Prairie Fire split a pair of non-conference games on Wednesday at Eureka College.
The Red Devils won the first game 8-0 in five innings. Knox responded in the second game with a 6-5 victory.
Eureka’s pitching held the Fire to four hits in the first game. Sophomore Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington) had two of the hits, including a double.
The Red Devils scored five runs in the first inning while holding the Prairie Fire offense in check. The game ended with one out and two runners on base in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Sophomore Anna Lemen (Cincinnati, OH, Cincinnati Country Day) (1-2) took the loss in the circle for Knox.
The second game was much closer.
The Prairie Fire (3-5) took a 1-0 lead on a run scoring single by Eisha in the top of the first inning.
Eureka countered with two runs in the bottom half and plated another run in the bottom of the third for a 3-1 lead.
Knox fought back and tied the game with a pair of runs on four hits in the top of the fourth. One run scored on a single by junior Amanda Lee (Palatine, IL, William Fremd) and the second crossed the plate on a single down the left field line by junior Avecena Hollingsworth (Tigard, OR, Tigard), who went 1-for-3 in the game with two RBI.
The Prairie Fire regained the lead at 5-3 after scoring twice in the sixth inning. The same two players that hurt Eureka in the fourth did it again two innings later. Lee drove in her second run of the game with a single and Hollingsworth brought a runner home with a sacrifice fly.
Eureka (4-12) failed to score in the sixth while Knox added what turned out to be an important insurance run in the top of the seventh. First-year player Jenna Butler (Downers Grove, IL, Downers Grove North) tripled with one out and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Amanda Wollrab (Knoxville, IL, Knoxville) for a 6-3 lead.
The Red Devils scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit to 6-5. The Fire secured the victory when, with one out and a runner on base, Eureka hit into a line-drive double play that ended the game.
Lee, Butler, and first-year infielder Rhiannon Neuville-Norton (Eugene, OR, South Eugene) had two hits apiece for Knox, which matched Eureka with 10 in the game.
Eisha (2-3) gave up two earned runs and struck out three to earn the win.
The Prairie Fire plays at home for the first time this season on April 1st against Midwest Conference South Division foe Illinois College. The teams meet in a doubleheader, with the first game starting at 1:00 p.m.
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