Game 1 box score
Game 2 box score
Galesburg, IL – The Prairie Fire put an end to a pair of losing streaks by splitting a doubleheader at home on Tuesday against MacMurray College.
Knox sophomore Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington) pitched a gem in a 3-0 victory. She tossed a complete game four hitter and struck out eight to earn her second career shutout. Eisha improved her record to 4-9 on the season.
Senior Amanda Wollrab (Knoxville, IL, Knoxville) provided the big blow on offense for the Fire. She cracked a two out, two run single in the fourth inning to provide all the offensive support Eisha would need.
Wollrab finished the game 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.
The Prairie Fire (7-17) capped off the scoring in the first game on an RBI single by first-year infielder Rhiannon Neuville-Norton (Eugene, OR, South Eugene), who also went 2-for-3 at the plate. Junior Avecena Hollingsworth (Tigard, OR, Tigard) contributed a pair of hits as well.
The win snapped a six game losing streak for the Fire and provided the team’s first win at home this season.
Knox got off to a good start in the second game, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Neuville-Norton led off with a single that was followed by a walk to sophomore Jordan Shaffer (Atlanta, IL, Olympia). Hollingsworth drove both home with a single.
Sophomore Anna Lemen (Cincinnati, OH, Cincinnati Country Day) started game two in the circle for the Fire. She held the Highlanders scoreless on a pair of hits in the first inning and took a two run lead into the second.
MacMurray College (7-28) broke out in a big way with eight runs on eight hits and a pair of errors by the Prairie Fire in the second stanza. Eisha came on in relief of Lemen with two outs.
Knox, however, would not go away and scored two more runs in the second inning to cut the MacMurray lead in half at 8-4. Hollingsworth struck again with a two out, two run single against the Highlanders.
MacMurray stretched its lead back to an eight run advantage at 12-4 by plating two runs in both the third and fourth innings.
The Prairie Fire fought back again by plating five runs in the bottom of the fifth with two outs. Three of the runs scored on wild pitches and the other two were courtesy of a double by first-year infielder Jenna Butler (Downers Grove, IL, Downers Grove North) as Knox closed the gap to 12-9.
Eisha held MacMurray College scoreless the rest of the way and also did some damage with her bat.
Neuville-Norton led off the seventh with a single, her fourth hit of the game, and then stole second base. Shaffer flied out to center field and Neuville-Norton attempted to tag up to advance to third base, but the umpiring crew ruled she left too early. Eisha followed with her second home run of the season, a solo shot brought the Prairie Fire within two runs with two outs.
Hollingsworth doubled and advanced to third on the throw back into the infield, bringing the tying run in Butler to the plate. Butler gave a pitch a ride to center field, but it was caught to end the game.
The teams combined for 33 hits and 18 runners left on base in the game. Lemen suffered the loss in the circle for the Prairie Fire.
Following Neuville-Norton’s four hits and three runs scored, Eisha and Hollingsworth had three hits apiece for Knox while Shaffer and Butler each had two.
The Fire plays at home for the last time this season against Robert Morris University of Springfield on Thursday. The first game of the doubleheader starts at 3:00. Knox’s two seniors, Wollrab and Beth McRill (Streamwood, IL, Streamwood), will be recognized prior to the start of the twinbill as part of Senior and Parents Day.
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