MONMOUTH, Ill. — The Knox College bats could not get on track in a Midwest Conference softball doubleheader at rival Monmouth College on Saturday afternoon as the host Fighting Scots dealt out a pair of shutouts that both ended in the fifth by scores of 8-0 and 9-0. Monmouth picked up its first league victories of the season to improve to 2-10 in conference play and 6-28 overall while the Prairie Fire dropped to 1-11 in the MWC and 2-31 on the year.

The opening game was a tight 1-0 affair through three innings before the Shelby Covey hit a one-out solo blast in the fourth. After the second out was recorded, Monmouth strung together seven consecutive hits, three of them doubles, to put six more runs on the board.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Durfee (1-9) was shutting down the Knox offense, surrendering just three hits and one walk in her five-inning shutout, striking out six along the way. Fifth-year Londyn Nelson, who recorded the third out to quell the uprising in the seven-run fourth, also had a double at the plate for the Prairie Fire. Sophomore Janet Lentini (1-5) was stuck with the loss.

In the nightcap, the Scots left two runners in scoring position in the first, but they would not be denied again. Monmouth scored three times in each of the second, third and fourth frames to build a 9-0 lead. Of the 16 hits rapped out by the Fighting Scots, 14 were singles as they gradually built up their advantage.

In the circle, Alyssa Hefflefinger ran into some trouble in the second as Knox loaded the bases with one out on singles by junior Taylor Goudschaal, fifth-year Haylee Carpenter and first-year Kenzi Chandler. But a pop up in front of the plate turned into a double play to keep the Prairie Fire off the board.

Hefflefinger (3-8) surrendered five hits and one walk in her shutout performance, fanning five. Sophomore Charlie Davison (0-12) allowed the 16 hits and nine runs in taking the defeat. Junior Maddie Hicks had the other two hits for Knox.

The Prairie Fire will finish its season next weekend with two games against each of Illinois College (21-15, 10-2 MWC) in Galesburg and Cornell College (11-19, 3-8 MWC) in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The Lady Blues return to town on Friday, May 2 to resume the doubleheader that was postponed in the top of the second this past Tuesday with Knox trailing, 7-0. The contest will resume at 3 p.m. with the second game to follow, both of which will be streamed live on PrairieFire.Knox.edu, the official website of Knox Athletics.