Box score

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin – The Prairie Fire played their second straight close match in as many days, this time against Lawrence University, but couldn't get over the hump in a 6-3 loss at the Green Bay Tennis Center on Sunday.

After beating Ripon College 8-1 in the Midwest Conference opener for both teams on Saturday, Knox took two of three doubles matches against St. Norbert in the second match of the day.  However, the Green Knights came back with four singles wins, including two in three sets, and escaped with a 5-4 victory.

Seniors Karl Ruzgas (Downers Grove, IL, Downers Grove North) and Walter Palmer (Wilmette, IL, New Trier) won their third consecutive #1 doubles match, 8-1, against David Jumes and Sotaro Kurahashi of Lawrence.  But the Vikings gained the upper hand with 8-4 and 8-1 victories at #2 and #3 doubles, respectively.

Palmer came back after dropping the first set to defeat Jumes 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in their #1 singles match-up.  Ruzgas posted a win at #2 singles for the Prairie Fire by downing Kurahashi 7-5, 6-0.

Lawrence (8-8, 2-1 MWC) held off Knox in the #3 through #6 singles contests to claim the match.

First-year Ashwin Kushwaha (Rochester, MN, Mayo) and sophomore Rohail Khan (Islamabad, Pakistan, Roots School System) started strong for the Prairie Fire.  Kushwaha prevailed 7-5 in the first set against #3 singles opponent Brian DeCorte, who rebounded to take the next two sets 6-1, 6-1.  Khan gained the edge in his #4 singles match against Mitch Kasprzyk by winning the first set 6-4.   Kasprzyk drew even with a 7-5 triumph in the second set, and then he closed out the hard-fought match with 1-0 (10-6) win in the deciding third set.

Palmer and Ruzgas combined to go 12-0 in singles and doubles play over the weekend against Ripon, St. Norbert, and Lawrence.  Ruzgas is among the MWC leaders with eight wins at #2 singles.  He and Palmer improved their doubles record to 11-4, and they share the conference lead for the most wins in the #1 flight with Grinnell's Elliott Czarnecki and Tommy Pitcher (11-9 record).

Knox (2-15, 1-2 MWC) resumes play at home against Monmouth College (10-8, 3-0 MWC) on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.