Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
MONMOUTH, Illinois – The Prairie Fire stepped up in a big way by sweeping Monmouth College in a Midwest Conference South Division doubleheader on Sunday at Glasgow Field.

Knox slugged out a 13-11 victory in the opener and followed with a 5-3 win in the finale to avenge a sweep by the Fighting Scots the day before at home.

Sophomore Ryan Weitendorf (New Lenox, IL, Lincoln-Way East) drove in five runs, including the eventual game-winner on a sacrifice fly, and fellow sophomore Alex Bell (Elgin, IL, Burlington Central) had three hits and three RBI to lead the way in game one.

Knox (8-13, 3-5) sent nine batters to the plate in a five-run top of the first inning.  The first run scored on a single by first-year Matt McCaffrey (Wilmette, IL, New Trier).  Back-to-back doubles by Weitendorf and Bell, and a single by sophomore Derek Beaupre (Pekin, IL, Pekin) gave the visitors a 5-0 lead.

Monmouth (9-14, 4-4) trimmed the deficit to three with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first.  The Prairie Fire made it 6-2 on a sacrifice fly by Weitendorf that scored sophomore Paul Sanders (Rock Island, IL, Rock Island) in the top of the second.

The Fighting Scots added a run in the second, and three in the third to force a 6-6 tie. 

Knox regained the lead at 7-6 on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Drake Sykes (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg) that scored junior Austin Bevenue (Millstadt, IL, Belleville Althoff) in the top of the fourth.  Two runs in the bottom of the fourth moved Monmouth in front, 8-7.

After neither team scored in the fifth inning, Weitendorf and Bell both singled in a run and senior Andrew Sparrow (Sullivan, IL, Sullivan) smacked a two-run double to give the Prairie Fire an 11-8 advantage in the top of the sixth.

The Fighting Scots fought back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to draw even, 11-11.

Consecutive singles by Bevenue, Sykes, and McCaffrey loaded the bases with one out in the Knox seventh.  Weitendorf lifted a fly ball to center that scored Bevenue from third with the lead run.  Bell added an insurance run with an RBI single to make it 13-11.

Junior hurler Marty Salazar (Normal, IL, Normal Community) held Monmouth scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings, and Sykes worked the ninth to preserve the victory and earn his second save.

First-year pitcher Tom Janczur (Darien, IL, Downer's Grove South) threw two innings of relief and picked up his first win of the year.

The Prairie Fire tied a season-high with 17 hits and established a new high mark for runs in a game.

McCaffrey had a three-hit day.  Sanders, Bevenue, and Sykes had two apiece and combined to score eight runs.

The offense slowed down for both clubs in the finale.

Sykes delivered an RBI single and then scored on a double by McCaffrey to stake Knox to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

Like the first game, Monmouth responded with a run in the bottom of the first to stay close.

Senior Ryder Borre (Wilmette, IL, New Trier) extended the lead to 4-1 with a two-run, two-out single in the top of the third.  The Scots shaved the deficit in half with a single tally in the bottom of the fourth.

The Prairie Fire tacked on one more run on an error in the top of the seventh to reclaim a three-run edge.

The Scots plated a run in the bottom of the eighth and threatened to get more with the bases loaded and two outs.  Sykes stuffed the rally with a strikeout, and then pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save of the day.

Borre had two of Knox's seven hits in the game.

First-year pitcher Zach Chainuck (Plainfield, IL, Plainfield East) tossed 6.1 strong innings for his second win.  He gave up two runs and four hits with five walks and three strikeouts.

The Prairie Fire host MacMurray College in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.