Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
MOUNT VERNON, Iowa – Cornell College posted a shutout and then survived a late rally by the Prairie Fire to take the first two Midwest Conference South Division games for both squads Thursday night at Ash Park.

The Rams, picked in the preseason as the favorite to win the MWC South title, won the opener 10-0 in seven innings and followed with an 11-8 victory in the nightcap.

Cornell's Kevin Stahmer, the reigning Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Week, allowed only three singles – two of them off the bat of junior Austin Bevenue (Millstadt, IL, Belleville Althoff) – and struck out seven.

Sophomore Paul Sanders (Rock Island, IL, Rock Island) had the third hit off Stahmer, who has tossed back-to-back shutouts and owns a conference-best 1.41 earned run average.

The Rams took a commanding lead early, scoring eight runs in the second inning.  They tacked on another run in the fifth, and ended the game on a run-scoring single with one out in the seventh.

First-year Zach Chainuck (Plainfield, IL, Plainfield East) went the distance on the mound for Knox and was charged with the loss.  Chainuck (1-3) surrendered 10 runs – only three of them earned – and 12 hits in 6.1 innings.  He walked four and struck out two.

The Prairie Fire led off the second game with a run, their first lead of the night, when first-year Kosuke Nishitani (Plano, TX, Plano West) scored on an infield error.

Cornell (8-8, 2-0 MWC South) answered with a solo home run and a two-run single in the second inning to move in front 3-1, but only temporarily.

A ground rule RBI double by sophomore Ryan Weitendorf (New Lenox, IL, Lincoln-Way East) in the top of the third cut the deficit to one.  First-year Matt McCaffrey (Wilmette, IL, New Trier) followed with a double to right that scored two more baserunners to put Knox back on top, and Bevenue singled home the fourth run of the inning for a 5-3 advantage.

The Rams reclaimed the lead for good with three runs in the home half of the third with only one hit.  Knox (5-9, 0-2 MWC South) walked four hitters and uncorked two wild pitches that allowed the tying and lead runs to score.

Cornell pushed the lead to 8-5 in the fourth, 10-5 in the sixth, and held a six-run lead, 11-5, as the Prairie Fire had one last chance to rally in the top of the ninth.

Weitendorf kept his team alive with a two-out single that brought Sanders home.  McCaffrey roped a two-run double, his second of the game, to close the gap to 11-8.  That's how it ended as the next hitter popped out to short.

Knox had a much better game at the plate with 10 hits, four of them for extra-bases.  The Rams finished with 11 hits, nine of them singles, but cashed in on 10 walks – a season-high by the pitching staff – and four wild pitches.

Five players for the Prairie Fire combined for all 10 hits by the team.  McCaffrey, Weitendorf, Bevenue, sophomore Drake Sykes (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg), and first-year Brandon Dempsey (Washington, IL, Washington) all had two.  McCaffrey led with four RBI and Weitendorf had two.

Senior Ryder Borre (Wilmette, IL, New Trier) started on the mound and received the loss.  Borre (2-2) gave up eight runs (seven earned), seven hits, and walked a season-high six with five strikeouts in four innings.

The Rams have a five-game winning streak against Knox that dates back to the first meeting last season, won by the Prairie Fire 9-7 at Blodgett Field on April 5, 2014.

That's the scene next as the season series concludes with a doubleheader that starts at 12:00 p.m.