DECATUR, Illinois - The Prairie Fire baseball team dropped a pair of games to open the season on Sunday.

Knox dropped game one to Benedictine 6-0. The game was scoreless through six innings before the Eagles broke through for two runs in the sixth. A few defensive miscues by the Prairie Fire gave Benedictine four more runs in the eighth.

Brandon Ward pitched the first four innings against the Eagles, striking out five and allowing just one hit.

Millikin defeated Knox 6-1 in game two. The Prairie Fire struck first when Cole Shepherd plated a run on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded in the second inning. The Big Blue tied the game in the bottom of the fourth and then took the lead with a pair of runs in the sixth. Millikin added two runs in the seventh and another in the eighth to claim victory.

Caleb Hay got the start in game two, allowing just two hits over three innings.

Etienne Thomas led Knox with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Jason Clark, Troy Brandt, and Braden Ogden also tallied hits on the day.

"We played pretty well today overall," said associate head coach James Clark. "Our pitching was fantastic and we just had a few defensive mistakes. Our hitting was a little rusty, but we should get better as the season gets rolling. Overall a lot of positives despite the outcome."

The Prairie Fire will return to action on March 1 as they travel to Eureka.