GALESBURG, Illinois - The Prairie Fire baseball team earned a conference split with Grinnell on Saturday afternoon.

The Pioneers scored the first six runs of game one, but Knox scored four runs in the fifth inning to get back in the game. Andrew Garrett doubled to score Tyler Kemp. Then Nicholas Nitti singled Garrett home. Evan Laws hit a two-run home-run to cap off the innings.

The Prairie Fire scored four more in the seventh inning to take the lead. Nitti tripled to bring Luke Mathieu around to score. Laws tied the game with a single to bring Nitti home. After a Tre Chatman double, Jason Clark hit a sacrifice fly to score Laws. Chatman scored on a single from Etienne Thomas.

Brandon Ward threw three innings of scoreless relief to earn the win.

In game two, Grinnell again leapt out to an early lead with eight runs in the first three innings. Knox battled back once again. 

Aidan McMurtrie started the scoring in the fourth inning by driving in Clark and Thomas.

The Prairie Fire added three more in the fifth with a sacrifice fly by Chatman to score Mathieu and a two RBI single from Clark.

In the sixth inning, Clark came through again with a bases loaded double to drive in three more runs and tie the game at 8-8.

Mathieu drove in McMurtrie in the seventh inning to give Knox the 9-8 lead.

Tyler Bialek threw 5.2 innings in relief to keep the Prairie Fire in the game. He struck out 10 batters and allowed just one run on four hits. Grinnell tied the game at 9-9 with two outs in the ninth. Ward then finished the inning and threw a scoreless 10th inning before the Pioneers broke through with three runs in the top of the 11th. Knox scored once in the bottom of the 11th when Mathieu drove in McMurtrie.

Nitti led Knox with five hits on the day and Clark added four hits and six RBI. Mathieu also tallied four hits. McMurtrie and Thomas racked up three hits apiece.

"We battled back all day," said associate head coach James Clark. "Game two was a tough one to lose as Tyler threw so well to keep us in the game. We will come back out tomorrow and get back at it."

The Prairie Fire travel to Grinnell on April 14 for the rubber match.