Box score #1
Box score #2

GALESBURG, Illinois – The Prairie Fire dropped a pair of Midwest Conference matches on Saturday at home.

Knox came up short in an 8-1 loss to Cornell College in the opener, and then fell 9-0 against MWC power Grinnell College.

Seniors Walter Palmer  (Wilmette, IL, New Trier) and Karl Ruzgas (Downers Grove, IL, Downers Grove North) scored an 8-6 win at #1 doubles against Thomas Weiss and Tucker Barnes of Cornell.  The Rams prevailed 8-3 at #2 doubles and 8-0 at #3.

Cornell (8-11, 1-3) swept the singles competition to lock up the conference victory.

Palmer played a close first set in his #1 singles match against Weiss before falling 5-7, 1-6.  Sophomore Rohail Khan (Islamabad, Pakistan, Roots School System) also stayed close at #4 singles in a 3-6, 4-6 loss to Hiro Hirada.

Grinnell (20-10, 5-0), ranked #17 in the Central Region, took sole possession of first place in the MWC after beating Monmouth College earlier in the day.

Palmer and Ruzgas dropped their first #1 doubles match in conference play, 8-4, against Elliott Czarnecki and Tommy Pitcher of the Pioneers.

Ruzgas put a scare into Grinnell's Cole Miller at #2 singles in the first set, but couldn't get over the hump in the 5-7, 2-6 loss.

The Prairie Fire end the regular season at home against Lake Forest College and Carroll University on Saturday, April 18.