LEESBURG, Florida - The Prairie Fire softball team began their time at The Spring Games Friday afternoon with two games. Knox fell to Earlham College 10-2 for their first game of the day. The Prairie Fire continued with a match-up against Lakeland University, which ended with a 6-2 loss for Knox. 

Earlham scored first with two runs in the bottom of the first inning and tacked on one additional run in the bottom of the second. In the top of the third, a double from Maddie Poetzinger put the Prairie Fire on the board with one run pushed across the plate. Maddie Hicks followed with a single and another run scored. Earlham led 3-2 going into the fourth. Earlham scored a solo run in the bottom of the fourth, four runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth paving their way to victory.

Lakeland came out quick with a run in the top of the first inning and one more in the second. Knox answered with a single run of their own in the second with an RBI from Kylie Thomson and one more in the fourth with an RBI from Janet Lentini, tying up the game 2-2. The Muskies managed to score three more in the top of the fifth.

Liv Dunn led the Prairie Fire with four hits on the day. Taylynn Kizer added three hits. Maya McEwen and Maddie Poetzinger tallied two hits a piece.

"Not how we wanted today to go, but we were able to get our first day jitters out and learn from today" said Head Coach Erin Clark. "We had some small mistakes on defense that added up and ultimately put us behind. We just need to string a few more things together and I think we will be able to have more success on the field."

The Knox softball team will return to action in The Spring Games on March 16th for one game against Ramapo College and and one game against Nazareth University.