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2014 Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic
March 18-22 Fort Myers & Cape Coral, FL

GAMES #7-#8 Knox vs. UW-Superior (3/22/14)  Box Score 7   Box Score 8

The Prairie Fire went toe to toe with red-hot UW-Superior but came up a run short in a doubleheader on Saturday in Cape Coral.

UW-Superior, the winner of 11 straight games going into the twinbill, edged Knox 3-2 in the first contest before coming away with a 1-0 victory in eight innings in the finale.

Seven of the Yellowjackets' 13 consecutive wins have been by two or fewer runs.

The Prairie Fire got off to a great start in the opening game with two runs in the bottom of the first inning for an early 2-0 lead. 

Junior Kayla Behrens (Moline, IL, Moline) ripped an RBI single that scored senior Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington) for the first Knox run.  Behrens then came home to score after sophomore Karli Shields (Naperville, IL, Neuqua Valley) reached base on an error by the UW-S catcher.

The Yellowjackets cut the deficit in half with a run on an RBI single in the top of the third off of Shields, who allowed only two other hitters to reach base until the sixth inning.

UW-Superior tied the game, 2-2, on a run-scoring single in the top of the sixth.  The Yellowjackets took the lead for good on another RBI single.  Shields limited the damage by retiring the next two batters.

The Prairie Fire went down in order in the home half of the sixth.  First-year Kaly Davidson (Needham, MA, Needham) singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh.  UW-Superior ace Nicolle Gross got the next two Knox hitters to ground out to end the game.

The Prairie Fire had seven hits against Gross, including a team-high three from senior Alyssa Bleidorn (Batavia, IL, Batavia).  Davidson added a pair of hits and Eisha had the lone extra base hit with a double.

Shields took the hard-luck loss despite a fine pitching performance.  She threw a complete game and walked one while recording 15 ground ball outs.

Knox and UW-Superior played through seven scoreless innings to send the second game of the doubleheader into an extra frame. 

The Prairie Fire went down in order in the top of the eighth.  The Yellowjackets (17-4) got a lead-off single, a stolen base, and an RBI single to score the only run and keep their long winning streak intact.

Knox (0-10) outhit UW-Superior 10-8 overall, but couldn't scratch a run across against Sarah Hendrickson – who notched a complete game victory.  The Prairie Fire had nine singles and a double by Behrens against Hendrickson, who recorded three strikeouts and did not walk a batter.

Junior Rhiannon Neuville (Eugene, OR, South Eugene) was 3-for-4 at the plate and Bleidorn added two more hits to lead the Prairie Fire.

Eisha, like Shields in the first game, suffered the loss following an exceptional outing in the circle.  Eisha worked seven-plus innings and surrendered one run on eight hits with four strikeouts.  She did not walk a batter.

The Prairie Fire (0-10) welcome Robert Morris University – Springfield for a doubleheader on March 29.  The first game at the Knox Softball Field is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.


GAME #6: Knox vs. University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (3/20/14)  Box Score 6

UMass Dartmouth broke away from the Prairie Fire to post an 11-2 win in five innings on Thursday.

The Corsairs (3-7) got off to a fast start, scoring three runs in the top of the first for the early lead.  Knox answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to slice the UMD lead to 3-2.

Senior Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington) drove in the first Prairie Fire run of the game with a single that scored senior Alyssa Bleidorn (Batavia, IL, Batavia ).  First-year Kaly Davidson (Needham, MA, Needham) then drew a bases-loaded walk that plated junior Kayla Behrens (Moline, IL, Moline) to trim the deficit to one.

However, UMass Dartmouth followed with three runs in the second inning and two more in the third to stretch the lead to 8-2.  The Corsairs added the final three runs of the game in the top of the fourth.

Eisha finished 1-for-2 with a walk and sophomore Karli Shields (Naperville, IL, Neuqua Valley) had the other hit for the Prairie Fire with a single in the first inning.

Shields was charged with the loss.  She pitched three innings and gave up eight runs, eight hits, walked four and struck out one.  Eisha tossed the last two innings for the Prairie Fire, allowing two earned runs on four hits with a strike out.

Knox (0-8) is idle on Friday and concludes its spring break trip to Florida on Saturday with a doubleheader against University of Wisconsin-Superior at Cape Coral Sports Complex #3.  The first game is scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m. (ET)

 
GAME #5: Knox vs. UW-Platteville (3/20/14)  Box Score 5

UW-Platteville jumped out to an early lead and defeated the Prairie Fire 18-2 in the first game of the day on Thursday in Fort Myers.

The Pioneers scored four runs in the top of the first inning and built a 9-0 lead before Knox scored twice in the bottom of the fifth.

Junior Kayla Behrens (Moline, IL, Moline) drove in junior Rhiannon Neuville (Eugene, OR, South Eugene) with a single to left field for the Prairie Fire's first run of the contest.  Knox scored again on a wild pitch that brought in senior Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington) to cut the UW-P lead to 9-2.

Platteville (7-4) thwarted any hopes of a Prairie Fire comeback with a nine-run sixth inning.

The Pioneers outhit Knox 16-9.

Neuville and senior Alyssa Bleidorn (Batavia, IL, Batavia) had two hits each to lead Knox.

Eisha started in the circle for the Prairie Fire and took the loss.  She allowed eight earned runs, walked one, and struck out three.  Sophomore Karli Shields (Naperville, IL, Neuqua Valley) retired the only batter she faced on a fly ball out to right field.

Knox (0-7) tries to regroup against University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth in Friday's second game at the Lee County Sports Complex.


GAME #4: Knox vs. Alfred State College (3/19/14)

A furious rally by the Prairie Fire came up short in an 8-7 loss to Alfred State in the second game of the day on Wednesday.

The Lady Pioneers started fast, scoring five runs in the top of the first inning to force Knox to play catch-up.

The Prairie Fire responded with three runs in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to 5-3.  Senior Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington) doubled to score first-year Kaly Davidson (Needham, MA, Needham) to put Knox on the board.  Junior Kayla Behrens (Moline, IL, Moline) followed with an RBI double that sent Eisha home, and Behrens scored on an RBI ground out by senior Alyssa Bleidorn (Batavia, IL, Batavia).

Alfred State (2-6) stretched its lead to 6-3 with a run in the top of the fourth, and then built the advantage back to five at 8-3 with two more tallies in the top of the sixth inning.

Knox (0-6) answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to stay within striking distance.

Sophomore Karli Shields (Naperville, IL, Neuqua Valley), who also pitched for the Prairie Fire, singled in Behrens.  A ground ball out by junior Claire Neri (Melrose Park, IL, West Leyden) scored first-year Chelsey Howard (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg), who stroked a one-out single in the inning.  Knox pulled within 8-6 on a single by junior Rhiannon Neuville (Eugene, OR, South Eugene) that scored first-year Samantha Nordstedt (Skokie, IL, Niles North).

After holding Alfred State scoreless in the top of the seventh, Eisha hit a one-out single for the Prairie Fire in the bottom of the inning.  Behrens then reached on an error that moved Eisha to second, and both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch.  An infield error on a ball hit by Bleidorn loaded the bases for Howard, who delivered a single that scored Eisha to make it an 8-7 game. 

The Lady Pioneers escaped with by getting a strikeout and a pop fly to shortstop to end the game with the bases loaded.

Alfred State outhit Knox 14-11.

Howard was 4-for-4 at the plate, one of three players with a multi-hit game for the Prairie Fire.  Eisha and Behrens added two hits apiece.

Shields went the distance in the circle and took the loss.  She struck out five and walked four over seven innings.

Knox continues its spring break schedule in Florida with two games on Thursday.  The Fire play University of Wisconsin-Platteville (9:00 a.m. ET) and University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (11:00 a.m. ET) at the Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers.


GAME #3: Knox vs. Smith College (3/19/14)

The Prairie Fire couldn't get on track offensively in an 8-0 loss to Smith College on Wednesday in Fort Myers.

A day after touching up Rutgers-Newark for 12 hits, Knox suffered its first shutout of the season against the unbeaten Pioneers.

Smith (4-0) scored two runs in the first inning off of Prairie Fire starting pitcher, sophomore Karli Shields (Naperville, IL, Neuqua Valley).  That turned out to be plenty of offensive support for Pioneer hurler Gina Martucci, who scattered three hits and struck out 10 over six innings to pick up the win.

The Prairie Fire (0-5) recorded their first hit of the game when junior Rhiannon Neuville (Eugene, OR, South Eugene) led off the top of the fourth with a single.  Martucci retired the next three Knox hitters in order to leave Neuville stranded on first base.

Smith added three runs in the top of the third to stretch the lead to 5-0.  The Pioneers tacked on another run in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth to account for the game's scoring.

Shields had the only extra base hit for the Prairie Fire when she doubled in the fifth.  Senior Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington) followed with a single in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Shields was charged with the loss after pitching three innings and giving up five runs and eight hits with two walks and one strikeout.  Eisha also worked three innings in the circle.  She surrendered three unearned runs and four hits while striking out one.

The Prairie Fire's second game of the day on Wednesday is against Alfred State College at the Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers.


GAME #2: Knox vs. Rutgers University-Newark (3/18/14)

The Prairie Fire suffered a close loss against Rutgers-Newark in a game that went into extra innings.

The Scarlet Raiders came away with a 4-3 victory against Knox in eight innings.  The Prairie Fire, down 2-0 in the bottom of the seventh, rallied to tie the game and send it to the eighth.

Senior Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington) doubled with two outs to score first-year Kaly Davidson (Needham, MA, Needham) and junior Rhiannon Neuville (Eugene, OR, South Eugene) and force the extra frame.

Rutgers-Newark (3-7) responded with two runs in the top of the eighth, both scoring on fielder's choice ground balls.

Knox fought back to within a run with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning. 

Senior Alyssa Bleidorn (Batavia, IL, Batavia) sacrificed junior Kayla Behrens (Moline, IL, Moline) to third, followed by singles from first-year Chelsey Howard (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg) and junior Claire Neri (Melrose Park, IL, West Leyden) that trimmed the Scarlet Raider lead to 4-3.  Rutgers-Newark sealed the win by getting a strikeout and a fly ball out to center.

The Prairie Fire (0-4) finished with a season-high 12 hits, led by Eisha with a pair of doubles and Bleidorn's 2-for-3 effort at the plate.

Sophomore Karli Shields (Naperville, IL, Neuqua Valley) pitched well for Knox in the loss.  She threw eight innings and allowed just one earned run and seven hits while walking three and striking out two.

The Prairie Fire play two more games on Wednesday.  Knox meets Smith College at 1:00 p.m. (ET) and Alfred State College at 3:00 p.m. (ET) at the Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers.


GAME #1: Knox vs. Nichols College (3/18/14)

Nichols College broke open a close game with three runs in the sixth inning and defeated the Prairie Fire 7-3.

Knox was first to scratch a run across when junior Rhiannon Neuville (Eugene, OR, South Eugene) led off with a double and came around to score on a ground ball out by senior Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington) in the bottom of the first inning.

Nichols (3-4) snatched the lead with three runs in the top of the second and never trailed again.  The Bison had two hits and benefitted from two errors by the Prairie Fire in the inning.

Nichols extended its lead to 4-1 with a two-out single off of Eisha in the top of the fifth.

Knox (0-3) trimmed the deficit to 4-2 with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

First-year Chelsey Howard (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg) smacked a lead-off double and moved to third on a ground out by junior Claire Neri (Melrose Park, IL, West Leyden).  Howard was cut down at home after first-year Kylie Behnke (Elk Grove Village, Elk Grove) hit a comebacker to the pitcher that resulted in a fielder's choice.  A wild pitch sent Behnke to second, and she scored on a triple by Neuville down the right field line.

Knox was unable to hold Nichols in the sixth.  The Bison scored three runs on a pair of hits and two errors to stretch the lead to a 7-2.

The Prairie Fire made it a 7-3 game in the bottom of the sixth, which got off to a promising start when junior Kayla Behrens (Moline, IL, Moline) doubled and Eisha singled.  A ground ball out held Behrens at third and moved Eisha into scoring position.  Junior Brittney Price (Wyoming, IL, Stark County) hit a ball that the first baseman for Nichols couldn't handle, scoring Behrens and advancing Eisha to third base.  The Bison prevented a big inning by Knox with a strikeout and a line-out to short.

The Prairie Fire couldn't mount a rally in their final at-bat.

Eisha (0-2) took the loss for Knox.  She pitched seven innings and allowed five earned runs and 11 hits while striking out six with no walks.

Neuville led the Prairie Fire offense with two extra base hits, one RBI, and one run scored.

Knox will try to get on track in the next game of the Florida trip against Rutgers University-Newark on Tuesday afternoon.