Davenport, IA – The Prairie Fire dropped their first two games of the 2013 season on Saturday.

The games were played indoors at the Ambrose Dome, a 67,000 square foot facility owned by St. Ambrose University that stands 75 feet high.  The Dome is frequently used as an indoor practice facility for the SAU football team.

Knox opened with a 13-2 loss against Elmhurst College.

The Bluejays (1-0) took an early 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first inning.  Elmhurst blew the game open with a seven-run second inning.  The big hits were a pair of run scoring singles and a two-run triple while the Prairie Fire committed three errors that enabled more runners to cross the plate.

Knox junior hurler Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington) allowed a lead-off single in the bottom of the third.  She got the next batter to hit into a fielder’s choice and then struck out a pair to get out of the inning.

The Prairie Fire (0-1) plated their first run of the season in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by sophomore Claire Neri (Melrose Park, IL, West Leyden), who drove in junior Alyssa Bleidorn (Batavia, IL, Batavia ).  Knox had the chance to add more runs with the bases loaded and two outs but Eisha grounded out to the pitcher to end the threat.

The Bluejays scored four more runs in the bottom of the fourth on two triples, a double, and a passed ball to extend the lead to 13-1.

Knox scored its second and final run of the game in the fifth inning when first-year Karli Shields (Naperville, IL, Neuqua Valley) singled with one out to drive in first-year Annie Ford (Oak Park, IL, Oak Park-River Forest), who led off with a single.  The Prairie Fire stranded Shields and Bleidorn, who drew a walk after Ford’s hit, with a strike out and a ground out to end the game.

Eisha (0-1) suffered the loss in the circle.  She surrendered 13 runs, six of them earned, and 13 hits in four innings of work.  Eisha struck out four and walked two.

Tiffany Potthast earned the win for Elmhurst.  She allowed one earned run and nine hits while striking out five and walking four.

Sophomore Rhiannon Neuville (Eugene, OR, South Eugene) and Shields had two hits apiece to lead Knox on offense.

The Prairie Fire couldn’t generate much offense in the second game, an 11-0 loss in five innings against Dominican University.

Dominican (1-0) scored two runs in the first frame, added two more in the second, and led 6-0 after the fourth inning.  The Stars plated their final five runs in the top of the fifth.

Two pitchers for Dominican combined for the shutout and struck out nine batters.  Eisha and Shields had hits for Knox and junior Avecena Hollingsworth (Tigard, OR, Tigard) walked twice.

Junior Anna Lemen (Cincinnati, OH, Cincinnati Country Day) made her first start in the circle for the Prairie Fire.  She took the loss after allowing four earned runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings of work.  Shields threw the final 1 2/3 innings in relief, surrendering two earned runs and two hits while striking out two.

Knox has a month between Saturday’s games and the next time the squad takes the field against an opponent.  The Prairie Fire travel to Fort Myers, Florida to take part in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.

Knox will play eight games in a five-day stretch against six different schools in the Sunshine State.  The first contest is against Nichols College of Massachusetts on March 19 at 9:00 a.m. ET  The Bison went 4-4 in last year’s Gene Cusic Classic and finished the 2012 season with a 15-20 record.

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