GRINNELL – The Prairie Fire nearly pulled off a road victory on Sunday, but fell to Grinnell 9-8. Knox led 8-6, but the Pioneers scored one in the eighth and hit a game-winning, walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth.

Earlier, Knox (2-17, 0-3) trailed 3-1 after an inning but quickly tied the game with two runs in the top of the second. However, Grinnell responded with a pair in the bottom of the second to take a 5-3 advantage. 

Then, in the top of the fifth, Knox took its first lead with three runs, only for Grinnell to tie the game with a run in the bottom half of the inning.

Undeterred, the Prairie Fire went ahead once again by scoring two runs in the top of the sixth. This advantage held until the Pioneers rallied in the final two innings for the win.

Offensively, Nicholas Nitti led Knox by finishing with three RBI. Meanwhile, Hayden Derlein added three hits, while Thomas Wilmot, Tyler Kemp, and Miles Hoops each contributed two. Additionally, Kemp scored three runs, while Andrew Garrett crossed the plate twice.

Looking ahead, Knox is next in action on Monday, playing at Augustana. The Prairie Fire will travel to Cornell on Friday before returning home to host Cornell in two games on Saturday.