LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Knox softball team could not subdue the Midwest Conference leader, Lake Forest College, on Saturday afternoon at Mohr Field as the host Foresters won both ends of a doubleheader by scores of 17-1 and 13-1. Lake Forest improved to 14-10 on the season and a perfect 6-0 in league play, scoring double-digit runs in each of those MWC victories, while the Prairie Fire dropped to 0-25 overall and 0-6 in conference action.
In the opening game, the Foresters scored five times in the bottom of the first and never let up, pounding out 18 hits. Cheyenne Pellettiere led the Lake Forest offense with five RBIs and Nicole Marceau came off the bench to hit her first home run of the season.
Morgan Traxinger (2-2) picked up the win despite not striking out a batter in her five-inning complete game. She held Knox to just three singles and one walk. First-year Lauren O'Neill drove home the lone Prairie Fire run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly, scoring senior Morgan Bean. Sophomore Janet Lentini (0-3) took the loss in the circle.
In the nightcap, Knox jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on senior Maddie Poetzinger's two-out, RBI single to plate fifth-year Haylee Carpenter. But just the like the first game, the Foresters put a five-spot on the board in their half of the first. Four more runs in the second were followed by two in both the third and fourth innings before the game ended after the Prairie Fire left runners on the corners in the fifth.
Paige Ratliff and Jolie Devalk were both a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate for Lake Forest, which collected 15 hits in the contest. Hanna Tutor (1-0) earned the victory in her first start of the season, yielding the one run on six hits and a walk while striking out two.
Carpenter and Poetzinger each had two hits for the Prairie Fire, while fifth-year Londyn Nelson (0-10) was stuck with the loss.
The Prairie Fire travel to Beloit College (3-25, 1-5 MWC) for a doubleheader on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games will be streamed live by Beloit and can be watched through PrairieFire.Knox.edu, the official website of Knox Athletics.
