Fort Myers, FL – The Prairie Fire offense erupted against Nichols College in a 22-4 win on Wednesday.

Knox (2-1) plated four runs in the first inning and led the Bison (2-7) 7-2 going into the top of the fifth inning.  The Prairie Fire added 15 more runs over the final five innings and finished the game with 24 hits.

Juniors Jackson White (Grayslake, IL, Grayslake Central) and Bryan Leslie (Richmond, IL, Richmond-Burton) had three hits apiece while White and senior Ryan Hoffman (Sugar Grove, IL, Marmion Academy) each drove in three runs for Knox.  Twelve players had at least one hit for the Fire, who scored the most runs in a contest since a 20-11 victory over Grinnell College during the 2001 season.

Junior Peter Marquardt (Clarendon Hills, lL, Hinsdale Central) started for Knox on the mound and had a solid outing to earn the win.  Marquardt (1-0) allowed just two runs, neither of them earned, and five hits while striking out five over six innings of work.

Sophomore Andrew Sparrow (Sullivan, IL, Sullivan), first-year Mitch Weissenhofer (Homewood, IL, Marian Catholic), and junior Dustin Armstrong (Cincinnati, OH, Country Day) tossed the final three innings for the Prairie Fire.  They combined to surrender one earned run on four hits with four strikeouts.