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Galesburg, Ill. – The Prairie Fire couldn't keep up with hot hitting Iowa Wesleyan College and dropped both games of a doubleheader at home on Sunday.

The Tigers won the first game 15-6 before completing the sweep of Knox with a 10-0 victory in the finale.

Iowa Wesleyan (6-8) broke loose in the opener with a nine run fourth inning to take a 13-4 lead.

The Tigers opened the scoring with four runs in the first inning.  The Prairie Fire answered with four in the bottom of the second to pull even.

An error allowed juniors Claire Neri (Melrose Park, IL, West Leyden) and Brittney Price (Wyoming, IL, Stark County) to score, cutting the Iowa Wesleyan lead in half, 4-2.  Senior Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington) followed with a two-run single to bring Knox back.

After an uneventful third frame, the floodgates opened and the Tigers took control.

Back-to-back RBI singles gave IWC a 6-4 lead with nobody out.  The visitors added two more runs – one on a drop third strike that sent the runner from third base home and the other on a wild pitch.  A bases-loaded walk stretched the Iowa Wesleyan lead to 9-4.  A double with the bases loaded brought in a pair and the ninth run of the inning scored on a wild pitch.

The Tigers extended to a 15-4 lead with a two-run single in the fifth inning.

Junior Kayla Behrens (Moline, IL, Moline) smashed a two-run homer, her second of the season, that scored Eisha in the bottom of the fifth to account for the final runs of the game.

Eisha (1-5) started in the circle for Knox and was charged with the loss.  She gave up six earned runs and 10 hits with one strikeout and two walks.

Iowa Wesleyan outhit the Prairie Fire 10-7.  Price and first-year Kaly Davidson (Needham, MA, Needham) added two hits each for Knox and junior Rhiannon Neuville (Eugene, OR, South Eugene) reached base twice on walks.

The Prairie Fire fell behind early in the second game and were unable to generate enough offense to rally.

Iowa Wesleyan took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and plated four more runs in the second for a 5-0 advantage.

Trailing 6-0 in the bottom of the fourth, Knox loaded the bases against IWC pitcher Stephanie Tillman but couldn't cash in. 

Eisha smacked a one out double and Behrens followed with a walk.  Both runners swiped a base, giving Knox two runners in scoring position with only one out.  First-year Chelsey Howard (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg) hit a line drive to second base for the second out and sophomore Karli Shields (Naperville, IL, Neuqua Valley) walked to load the bases.  The Iowa Wesleyan defense stepped up and made a fine play on a ball hit to center field by Davidson to retire the side and leave three runners stranded.

Iowa Wesleyan added four runs and five hits in the top of the fifth for a 10-0 lead.

The Prairie Fire (1-13) put two runners on in the bottom of the fifth inning – a walk by Price and a single by Neuville, but a fielder's choice and a fly ball to center ended the game.

Shields (0-8) had a tough time in her start and took the loss.  She tossed 1 2/3 innings and surrendered six runs, seven hits and walked two.

Eisha and Neuville had the only hits in the game for Knox.

The Prairie Fire have one more non-conference doubleheader before beginning Midwest Conference play next weekend.  Knox hosts 18th ranked Augustana College on Wednesday beginning at 3:00 p.m. before traveling to Lake Forest College for a MWC South match-up on April 5 at 12:00 p.m.

Lake Forest (10-4) is already 4-0 in conference play with doubleheader sweeps at Illinois College on Saturday and Monmouth College on Sunday.

Augie (17-5) has won six straight games following shutout wins against Wartburg College (1-0) and Ripon College (5-0) in the Augustana Invitational on Sunday.