Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Davenport, IA – The Prairie Fire’s season-opener didn’t go as the team had hoped as host St. Ambrose University posted a doubleheader sweep on March 3.
Knox lost both games of the twinbill 18-1 and 9-0.
The Bees jumped out to a big lead by plating 14 runs in the first inning of game one at the Ambrose Dome. St. Ambrose wrapped out 11 hits and took advantage of a Knox error, a walk, and two wild pitches.
The Prairie Fire had a chance to score in the second inning when sophomore Jordan Shaffer (Atlanta, IL, Olympia) walked. She advanced to second base on a ground out and was left stranded in scoring position when the next two hitters struck out.
St. Ambrose scored their final four runs in the third inning, when the first two batters reached on a ground rule double and a single against Knox hurler, sophomore Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington). The Bees had four hits and left two runners on base while the Fire committed two more errors in the inning.
The Prairie Fire nixed any hopes of a shutout by scoring in the top of the fourth inning. Junior Avecena Hollingsworth (Tigard, OR, Tigard) led off with a single, the first hit of the game for Knox. She moved to second on a ground out by Shaffer and came around to score on a double by Eisha to make it a 14-1 game.
Knox added one more hit in the contest in the final at-bat in the bottom half of the fifth inning. Junior Jill Krippel (Plainfield, IL, Plainfield Central) smacked a two-out single. The Prairie Fire left the bases loaded when a fielder’s choice ended the game.
Eisha was 1-for-2 with an RBI at the plate and Hollingsworth was 1-for-2 with a run scored and a walk.
Eisha took the loss in the circle. She threw a complete game and surrendered eight earned runs on 16 hits and struck out two.
Similar to the first game, Ambrose did all of their damage in the early innings of the nightcap. The Bees (4-3) scored a pair of runs on three hits and an error while leaving a runner on base for a 2-0 lead going into the Knox half of the second inning.
The Prairie Fire went down in order in the second frame on a fly out, a line out, and a ground out.
The Bees extended their lead to 6-0 with a four-run second inning off Knox starting pitcher, sophomore Anna Lemen (Cincinnati, OH, Cincinnati Country Day). St. Ambrose scored their runs on three hits, a walk, a hit batter, two stolen bases, and a wild pitch.
Knox (0-2) was unable to score in the top of the third. One player reached base, first-year Rhiannon Neuville-Norton (Eugene, OR, South Eugene), who was hit by a pitch with one out. She was stranded after the next two batters grounded out.
The Prairie Fire broke up a possible no-hit bid by the Bees in the top of the fourth inning after Lemen held St. Ambrose in check in the bottom half of the third. Shaffer drilled a one-out single but was cut down at second base on a fielder’s choice.
St. Ambrose added more in the bottom of the fourth, plating three runs on four hits for a 9-0 lead. The inning started well with a groundout. But a triple, a run-scoring single, two stolen bases and a double that drove in a pair of runs put the game out of reach.
The Prairie Fire went down in order in the top of the fifth inning as St. Ambrose picked up the shutout victory and completed the sweep.
Lemen took the loss for Knox. She threw three innings and allowed four earned runs on six hits with one strikeout and one walk. Eisha came on in relief of Lemen for one inning and surrendered three earned runs on one hit and struck out one.
Winning pitcher Nichole Garland and reliever Nicole Walshon combined to hurl the shutout for SAU. Garland pitched four innings and allowed one hit and struck out two. Walshon threw one perfect inning and recorded a pair of strikeouts.
St. Ambrose outhit the Prairie Fire 10-1 in the finale and 26-3 overall in the twinbill. Not unusual in a season opener, Knox also committed seven errors in the two games and the Bees committed four.
The Prairie Fire resumes play on March 14 against Harris-Stowe State University. The doubleheader in St. Louis is schedule to begin at 1:00 p.m.
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