Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
GALESBURG, Illinois – Grinnell College held off the Prairie Fire 11-10 in the first game of a doubleheader before completing the sweep with a 10-2 win in MWC South Division play at Blodgett Field on Monday.

Knox recognized seniors Ryder Borre (Wilmette, IL, New Trier), Michael Bohnhoff (Omaha, NE, Mt. Michael Benedictine), Austen Lake (Albers, IL, Breese Central), Andrew Sparrow (Sullivan, IL, Sullivan), and their parents prior to the opener as part of Senior Day.  The team closes out the season with four games on the road.

The Prairie Fire mounted a furious rally in the opener after Grinnell scored six times in the top of the eighth inning to take an 11-3 lead.

Knox (9-23, 3-13) answered with seven runs in the bottom of the eighth.  Consecutive RBI singles by sophomore Derek Beaupre (Pekin, IL, Pekin), first-year Auggie Ward (Freeburg, IL, Gibault), sophomore Paul Sanders (Rock Island, IL, Rock Island), and sophomore Alex Bell (Elgin, IL, Burlington Central) trimmed the deficit to four.  The fifth run scored on an error, and a two-run double by sophomore Ryan Weitendorf (New Lenox, IL, Lincoln-Way East) made it 11-10.

The Pioneers threatened to add to the lead with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the ninth, but junior hurler Marty Salazar (Normal, IL, Normal Community) induced a 6-4-3 double play for the Prairie Fire to keep it a one-run game. 

Grinnell (15-15, 8-4) recorded a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to hang on for the victory.

Knox cut a 4-0 deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the fifth and another in the sixth on a solo home run to right off the bat of Weitendorf.

The teams traded runs in the seventh inning.  A single by sophomore Drake Sykes (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg) scored Sanders to keep the Prairie Fire close at 5-3.

Knox matched the Pioneers with 15 hits in the contest.  Sanders led the way with three and two runs scored.  Sykes and Ward both reached base three times with a pair of hits and a walk while Bell, Weitendorf, and sophomore Kam Wells (Champaign, IL, Champaign Central) finished with two hits each.

Borre was charged with the loss in his final start on the mound at home.  He allowed five earned runs, 10 hits, walked five, and struck out three over seven innings.

Like the first game, Grinnell grabbed a 4-0 lead in the finale and pulled away late.

The Prairie Fire had three hits and put four runners on base in the first two innings but had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard.

The Pioneers broke the scoreless deadlock with a two-run single in the third before doubling the advantage with two unearned runs in the top of the fourth.

Sparrow drove in the first run of the game for Knox on a ground ball that scored first-year Matt McCaffrey (Wilmette, IL, New Trier) in the bottom of the sixth.

Grinnell made it 5-1 with a run in the top of the seventh.  The Prairie Fire again trimmed the margin to three on a sacrifice fly by Bell that brought in Ward.

The Pioneers put the game out of reach with five runs in the top of the eighth.

Grinnell held a 12-8 edge in total hits.  Ward again reached base three times with two hits and a walk.

Lake was saddled with the loss on the mound for Knox despite tossing 5.2 solid innings.  He surrendered two earned runs and six hits, walked four, and struck out three.

The Prairie Fire resume play on Thursday against Robert Morris University – Peoria at 6:30 p.m. at Eastside Center in East Peoria.