DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Prairie Fire baseball team dropped a pair of games at Dubuque on Tuesday afternoon.
 
The Spartans scored a run in the first and another run each in the third and fourth to take an early lead. In the fifth, Dubuque took advantage of some defensive miscues and put up three more runs. The Spartans added two more in the sixth inning and held on for an 8-0 victory.
 
Knox struck first in game two when they plated two runs in the top of the first inning. Dubuque pushed three unearned runs in the third inning to take the lead and added another in the eighth. Brendan Powers led off the ninth inning with a base hit, but the Prairie Fire could not get anything going and fell 4-2.
 
Avery Dean threw 4 2/3 innings in game two, allowing only four hits and three unearned runs.
 
"First-years Austin Batterson and Avery Dean performed very well on the mound for us today," said associate head coach James Clark. "We are so close to putting a complete game together with pitching, fielding, and hitting. We just need to relax and play our game."
 
Knox will return home to battle Robert Morris – Peoria on March 27 in their final tune-up before conference play begins this weekend.