Grinnell, IA – The Prairie Fire avenged a loss earlier this week against Grinnell College by sweeping the Pioneers in a doubleheader on Saturday.
Knox defeated the Pioneers 7-3 in the first game and won the finale 3-1. The Prairie Fire and Grinnell split a twinbill on April 4 at Blodgett Field with Knox taking the opener 7-5 and the Pioneers winning game two 14-8.
Coach Jami Isaacson's squad earned its first sweep of Grinnell since April of 2003 when Knox posted back-to-back 3-2 and 6-3 victories.
The Prairie Fire (9-5, 3-1 MWC South) have won six of their last seven games and are currently tied for the Midwest Conference South Division lead with Illinois College (8-9, 3-1 MWC South). The Blueboys and Monmouth College (4-14, 1-3 MWC South) split a doubleheader on Saturday in Monmouth.
Junior relief pitcher Dustin Armstrong (Cincinnati, OH, Country Day) got Knox out of a jam in the bottom of the ninth inning of game one when he came on with the bases loaded and one out and retired the two batters he faced to earn the save.
The Prairie Fire led 7-0 before Grinnell (6-12, 1-3 MWC South) rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Knox opened the scoring with two runs in the fifth inning, added another run in the fourth, extended the lead to 5-0 with two in the fifth frame, and made it 7-0 when junior Jackson White (Grayslake, IL, Grayslake Central) belted a two-run homer – his first of the season – in the top of the seventh inning.
The Prairie Fire outhit the Pioneers 11-2. White was 3-for-5 with three runs batted in. Senior Michael Schroeder (Glenview, IL, Glenbrook South) added two hits and an RBI and first-year Mitch Weissenhofer (Homewood, IL, Marian Catholic) was 1-for-3 with a run batted in.
Sophomore starter Nathaniel Grady (Antelope, CA, Oakmont) earned the win on the mound for Knox after a strong outing. Grady (2-1) allowed just two runs and two hits with two walks and six strikeouts in eight innings.
Armstrong picked up his second save of the day and fifth of the season after working 1 2/3 innings of one hit relief in the doubleheader finale.
Junior Paul Mills (Moline, IL, Moline) also turned in a stellar starting pitching performance for the Prairie Fire. Mills (1-1) held Grinnell to one run and one hit while he walked three and struck out one. Weissenhofer relieved Mills and blanked the Pioneers over 2 1/3 innings.
Knox scored all the runs needed with three in the top of the second inning. The big hits came from junior Michael O'Connell (Park Ridge, IL, Maine South) and sophomore Michael Bohnhoff (Omaha, NE, Mt. Michael Benedictine). O'Connell drove in the first run of the game with a double to left field and Bonhoff followed with a two-run single for a 3-0 lead.
The Pioneers cut the Prairie Fire lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the third inning. Mills and the Knox bullpen allowed only one hit the rest of the game.
Armstrong and Weissenhofer have been lights out in relief.
Armstrong has thrown 12 1/3 innings and surrendered just eight hits while striking out eight and walking none. He has two wins to go with his five saves and opponents are batting just .190 against him. Weissenhofer has given up two hits, two walks, and an opposing batting average of .091 in 6 2/3 innings.