The Knox College softball team continued its strong start to the season, splitting a pair of games in Florida on Wednesday.
Bad weather delayed Knox's arrival in Florida on Monday and canceled two games on Tuesday. Knox rebounded, improving to 3-1 for the first time since 2002.
After dropping the opener of the tournament, 9-1 to Fredonia, Knox rallied late and topped Augsburg 11-10 to earn a split.
Trailing 10-5 after five innings against Augsburg, Knox scored four in the sixth. In the seventh, they added the tying and go-ahead runs before Maddie Hicks secured the win.
Knox started the scoring at the top of the first as Taylor Goudschaal's sacrifice fly brought home Cheyanne Merkel for a 1-0 lead. After Augsburg scored a pair in the bottom of the first, Knox brought home four runs in the top of the second for a 5-2 lead.
A Torres single scored Becca Strode. Merkel singled home Bartlett and Torres, and Chelsea McKee's sacrifice fly plated Maria Olivas.
Augsburg scored four in the second to retake the lead, added one in the fourth, and three in the fifth for a 10-5 advantage.
But Knox did not quit. In the sixth inning, Merkel's two-run homer started the rally, cutting the deficit from five to three. Goudschaal and Mia Gladden each had RBI groundouts, cutting the deficit to one, 10-9.
Knox took the lead in the seventh. McKee's sacrifice fly tied it, scoring Olivas. Goudschaal singled, allowing Merkel to score the go-ahead run.
Augsburg had a chance to tie or win the game in the final half inning, putting runners on second and third with one out, but Hicks got a groundout and a strikeout to end the game.
Merkel and Zoe Abbott had three hits. Olivas and Torres had two each. Merkel drove in four, Goudschaal three, and McKee two.Â
In the opener, Knox fell 9-1 to Fredonia after two days of travel. Merkel drove in Knox's only run and had one of two hits. Kylie Thomson scored and accounted for the other hit.Â
Looking ahead, the Prairie Fire play again on Thursday, taking on Salem State and Westminster College.
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