Jacksonville, IL – The Prairie Fire softball team lost a pair of one-run games at MacMurray College on Tuesday.

The Highlanders scored a 5-4 walk-off win in the opener and then completed the sweep by holding on for a 4-3 victory in the finale.

The Prairie Fire came back from a 4-0 deficit in the first game with a run in the sixth inning and three in the seventh to tie it up at 4-4.  MacMurray, scoreless since the third inning, plated the winning run on a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh.

Junior Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington) homered for Knox in the sixth inning, her third of the season, to trim the Highlanders’ lead to 4-1.  Eisha also drove in the Prairie Fire’s second run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.  Junior Avecena Hollingsworth (Tigard, OR, Tigard) continued the rally with a two-run double that tied the game at 4-4.

Hollingsworth was 2-for-2 at the plate for Knox.  Eisha (1-7) took the loss after pitching a complete game.  She allowed four earned runs, 10 hits, two walks and struck out four.

The Prairie Fire rallied in the second game as well after MacMurray (5-16) grabbed an early lead.  The Highlanders scored one run in the first inning and three more in the second for a 4-0 advantage.

Knox got on the board in the fifth inning when Eisha hit a ground ball to shortstop that scored sophomore Rhiannon Neuville (Eugene, OR, South Eugene) from third base.

Sophomore Claire Neri (Melrose Park, IL, West Leyden) belted a two-run, two out triple in the sixth inning for Knox that closed the deficit to 4-3.  MacMurray pitcher Jana Wright retired Neuville on a ground ball for the third out, leaving Neri stranded at third base.

Hollingsworth got the Prairie Fire seventh inning off to a promising start with a single.  Wright followed by recording three straight ground ball outs, allowing the Highlanders to hold on for the victory.

Neri got on base three times for Knox with her triple and a pair of walks.  First-year Annie Ford (Oak Park, IL, Oak Park-River Forest), Neuville, and Hollingsworth added two hits apiece.

The Prairie Fire outhit MacMurray 9-7 in the nightcap.

First-year pitcher Karli Shields (Naperville, IL, Neuqua Valley) suffered the loss as her record dropped to 1-5.  She gave up four earned runs and four hits with four walks and one strikeout in 1 2/3 innings. 

Eisha came on in long relief and closed the door on the Highlanders.  She threw 4 1/3 innings and surrendered just three hits while striking out three.

Knox (3-15) will try to put the brakes on a six-game slide on Friday at 1:00 p.m. against Lawrence University during the 2013 Midwest Conference Classic.

The annual tournament involving all of the teams in the Midwest Conference begins Friday and runs through Sunday at East Side Centre in East Peoria.  The Prairie Fire will play all five teams in the MWC North Division, beginning with Lawrence (10-6).

Knox is the host of this year’s Midwest Conference Classic.  More information is available at http://prairiefire.knox.edu/sports/2013/4/1/SB_0401132650.aspx?id=156

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