Appleton, WI – The Prairie Fire avenged a loss to Lawrence University earlier in the season with a win against the Vikings on Saturday.
Knox defeated Lawrence 12-6 in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader. The Vikings downed the Prairie Fire 7-3 when the teams played on March 21 in Fort Myers, Florida.
Lawrence closed out the season series with a 12-1 victory over Knox in Saturday's twinbill finale at Whiting Field.
The Prairie Fire (17-9) started quickly on offense against the Vikings in the opening contest with two runs in the first inning and four in the second frame for an early 6-0 lead.
Junior Erik Smoy (Hoffman Estates, IL, Hoffman Estates) drove in the first Knox run with a single and senior Ryan Hoffman (Sugar Grove, IL, Marmion Academy) made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly RBI. Junior Jackson White (Grayslake, IL, Grayslake Central) belted a run-scoring double in the top of the second inning. Senior Caleb Weaver (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg) continued the hit parade with a single that scored a pair of runs and Smoy increased the Prairie Fire advantage to 6-0 with a single that scored Weaver.
Lawrence (9-19) scored an unearned run in the third inning to trail 6-1. Knox responded with three runs in the top of the fourth when Hoffman hit his first home run of the season with two outs and two men on base for a 9-1 lead.
The Vikings chipped away with two runs in the fourth, two in the sixth, and one in the seventh to whittle the deficit to 9-6.
The Prairie Fire took any hopes of a Lawrence comeback away with three runs in the eighth inning. White had an RBI single and then scored on a ground out by Smoy. Hoffman continued his offensive onslaught with a single through the left side of the infield that scored the final run of the game.
Junior Peter Marquardt (Clarendon Hills, lL, Hinsdale Central) earned the win on the mound for Knox in relief of starter Nathan Grady. He's now 4-0 on the season.
Hoffman drove in five runs to lead the Prairie Fire offense, which had 18 hits. White had four hits, two RBIs, and three runs scored, Smoy contributed three hits and three runs batted in, and Weaver added three hits, two RBIs, and three runs.
Lawrence broke a 1-1 tie in the nightcap with nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to prevent the sweep.
Knox scored its only run on a ground out by Weaver that scored junior Phil Tallman (Park Ridge, IL, Maine South) in the top of the first inning. The Prairie Fire tallied six more hits in the game but were unable to add on any more runs.
The Vikings tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with a single off junior hurler Paul Mills (Moline, IL, Moline), who came on in relief of senior starter Ryan Stoens (Bartonville, IL, Limestone). Stoens worked three scoreless innings, surrendering only two hits and two walks.
The run against Mills in the fourth was the only blemish on his pitching line of two innings, three hits allowed, and two strikeouts.
First-year Jeremy Gogoel (Hampshire, IL, Hampshire) suffered the loss. Gogoel (0-1) gave up seven earned runs and six hits in 2/3 of an inning. Juniors Bryan Leslie (Richmond, IL, Richmond-Burton) and Dustin Armstrong (Cincinnati, OH, Country Day) combined to pitch the final inning with each allowing two earned runs.
Junior Michael O'Connell (Park Ridge, IL, Maine South) led the Fire with two hits.
Knox owns a two game lead over Illinois College in the Midwest Conference South Division. IC lost to Cornell College 4-0 and 7-5 at home on Saturday to fall to 7-5 in the MWC South while the Prairie Fire are 9-3.
The Blueboys host Knox in a doubleheader on Thursday at 12:00 p.m. The Prairie Fire welcome IC on Saturday for the final two regular season conference games, beginning at 1:00 p.m. Saturday is also Senior Day at Blodgett Field.