2012 Midwest Conference Crossover Classic – Waukegan, IL
April 14, 2012
Knox 6
Lawrence 2
box score
The Prairie Fire got off to a good start in the tournament with a win against Lawrence University.
The Vikings had three hits and scored a run in the top of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead.
Knox responded with five runs in the bottom of the first to support sophomore pitcher Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington). The Prairie Fire banged out four hits and took advantage of an error by the Vikings for a 5-1 lead.
The first two batters for Knox, first-year Rhiannon Neuville-Norton (Eugene, OR, South Eugene) and sophomore Jordan Shaffer (Atlanta, IL, Olympia), reached base on errors. Neuville-Norton scored on a single by Eisha. Shaffer and Eisha came home on a double by first-year player Jenna Butler (Downers Grove, IL, Downers Grove North), who cracked a two-run double that gave the Fire a 3-0 advantage. Junior Jill Krippel (Plainfield, IL, Plainfield Central) drove home two more runs with a single to increase the lead to 5-0 before Lawrence finally got out of the inning.
Knox stretched the lead to 6-1 with a run in the bottom of the fourth when first-year Brittney Price (Wyoming, IL, Stark County) singled to score Shaffer.
Lawrence plated its final run of the game in the fifth inning. The Vikings managed only four hits against Eisha and committed five errors.
Eisha (3-6) earned the complete game win in the circle after surrendering one earned run and striking out three.
The Prairie Fire had eight hits in the game. Price was 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Butler added two hits, two runs batted in and scored once.
Knox came up short in the two other games played on Saturday against Ripon College and Carroll University.
GAME #2
Ripon 8
Knox 6
box score
Knox took an early lead against Ripon with three runs in the first inning. Sophomore Jordan Shaffer (Atlanta, IL, Olympia) was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a single by sophomore Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington), stole third, then scored on an infield error for a 1-0 lead. First-year player Brittney Price (Wyoming, IL, Stark County) drove home two runs to put the Prairie Fire on to 3-0.
Ripon answered with a run in their half of the first to cut the Knox advantage to 3-1. The Red Hawks added three runs on three hits in the second to take a 4-3 lead, then added four hits and three runs in the third to widen the advantage to 7-3.
The Prairie Fire fought back with three runs on three hits in the fourth to trim the Ripon lead to 7-6. First-year Rhiannon Neuville-Norton (Eugene, OR, South Eugene) singled home first-year Claire Neri (Melrose Park, IL, West Leyden) for the first run of the inning. The two other runs scored on a ground ball and the throw.
Ripon held Knox scoreless the final two innings while plating a run in the bottom of the sixth to account for the final score. The Red Hawks outhit the Prairie Fire 9-6.
Shaffer had two hits and an RBI, Neuville-Norton had a hit and drove in a run, and Price drove in a pair of runs. Sophomore Anna Lemen (Cincinnati, OH, Cincinnati Country Day)(2-5) took the loss in the circle for Knox. She allowed seven earned runs and nine hits in six inning pitched.
GAME #3
Carroll 6
Knox 2
box score
The Pioneers kept the Prairie Fire bats quiet through the first five innings while building a 6-0 lead.
Knox prevented a shutout with two runs in the top of the sixth inning. The first two hitters walked and one came around to score on the Fire’s first hit of the game, a double by sophomore Jordan Shaffer (Atlanta, IL, Olympia). The second run scored when first-year Rhiannon Neuville-Norton (Eugene, OR, South Eugene) grounded out and brought senior Beth McRill (Streamwood, IL, Streamwood) home to slice the Carroll led to 6-2.
The Pioneers held Knox to a single by sophomore Anna Lemen (Cincinnati, OH, Cincinnati Country Day) in the bottom of the seventh inning, but did not allow any more runs to score.
Carroll had 13 hits in the game off sophomore pitcher Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington). Five of the six runs allowed were earned and Eisha (3-7) struck out two.
The MWC Crossover games scheduled on Sunday were moved to Monday because of rainy weather. Officials decided to cancel the games when the weather and field conditions didn’t improve on Monday.
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