May 10 - Ripon College

Justin Cutter and Jordan Ball limited Ripon to only four runs as Knox won the 2008 Midwest Conference Baseball Championship with a 5-4 win over the Red Hawks. The Prairie Fire won four consecutive games, including three straight on Saturday, after dropping the tournament's opening game to Ripon on Friday morning. It is Knox's first MWC baseball championship since 1993 when the team shared the title with Monmouth and Coe. Knox's last outright Midwest Conference crown came in 1986.

Like they have all tournament, the Prairie Fire put their tournament hopes on a freshman hurler. Justin Cutter scattered 10 hits over six innings in picking up his first win of the season. He gave up four runs, three of which were earned. Fellow freshman Jordan Ball closed the win with three scoreless innings to earn his second save of the year. Ball struck out three.

Trailing 1-0, Knox did most of its damage in the bottom of the first inning, scoring three two-out runs. Adam Estergard hit a one-out triple to right-center. Paul Bennett was walked an dmoved to second on a Nate Ayers' groundout. Estergard scored on a wild pitch to even the score at 1-1 before Greg Leibach's single drove in Bennett for a 2-1 Knox advantage. Luke Hunter came through with an RBI double to plate Leibach.

Ripon, the four-time defending Midwest Conference champion, scored a single run in the third and took the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth. Knox regained the lead in the bottom of the frame. Joey Graeff had an RBI groundout and George Nicholson later scored on a fielder's choice to push the Prairie Fire back in front 5-4.

From there, it was all Cutter and Ball. The pair limited Ripon to only two hits over the final four innings. Cutter, Ball, and freshman Colin Davis combined to start all five conference tournament games for Knox.

Leibach picked up two of the Prairie Fire's six hits.

May 10 - Ripon College

Knox defeated Ripon 4-2 to force a rematch between the two teams for the 2008 Midwest Conference Baseball Championship later this afternoon. The Prairie Fire have won three straight games after losing their opening-round game of the tournament to Ripon yesterday morning.

Kevin Malone got Knox on the board in the third inning. After Joey Graeff singled with one out, Malone tripled to center for a 1-0 lead. Malone then scored on Adam Estergard's RBI single for a 2-0 edge.

Ripon cut the deficit in half with a run in the fourth. Paul Bennett gave the Prairie Fire a 4-1 lead when he ripped a double to left-center to score Malone and Estergard. The Red Hawks scored a run in the top of the ninth to account for the final score.

As they have during the entire conference tournament, Knox got another strong pitching performance. Colin Davis allowed one run on four hits over four innings. Aaron Juarez earned the victory after throwing 2.2 scoreless innings. Spencer McNeil gave up a run over 1.1 innings before Sammy Almohandis earned the save by throwing the final inning.

Malone finished with three of the Prairie Fire's six hits.

May 10 - St. Norbert College

Greg Leibach and Luke Hunter had two-out RBI singles in the top of the 10th inning as Knox defeated St. Norbert 6-2 to advance to the championship game of the Midwest Conference Tournament. The Prairie Fire will play Ripon at 12:55 this afternoon. Knox will need to beat Ripon twice to claim the conference crown.

The Prairie Fire grabbed a 1-0 lead over St. Norbert in the fourth inning on Leibach's run-scoring single. Hunter lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Paul Bennett as the lead grew to 2-0 in the sixth. St. Norbert tied the game with single runs in the seventh and eighth inning.

The game moved to extra innings and Knox took control. With two outs, Bennett drew a walk and Nate Ayers reached on a Green Knights error. Leibach and Hunter then came through with their back-to-back RBI singles to give the Prairie Fire a 4-2 lead. Two more runs crossed the plate on a second St. Norbert error of the inning.

St. Norbert, the MWC North Division champion, did not go out without a fight. The Green Knights loaded the bases with two outs on a double and a pair of walks, but Sammy Almohandis got the final hitter to fly out to center to end the game.

Almohandis got the victory after allowing only one hit and an unearned run over 3.2 innings. Jordan Ball started and scattered four hits over 6.1 innings. He struck out one and surrendered an unearned run.

Bennett (3), Leibach (2), and Hunter (2) combined for all seven of the Prairie Fire hits.

May 09 - Monmouth College

George Nicholson hit a grand slam and finished with five RBIs as Knox eliminated Monmouth from the Midwest Conference Baseball Championships with a 10-5 win. Knox (12-23) will play St. Norbert on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. on Blodgett Field. The winner will face Ripon in the championship game while the loser will be eliminated.

Knox, playing as the home team at Monmouth, found itself down 3-0 after the top of the first. But Nicholson's blast in the second gave the Prairie Fire a 4-3 edge. Nate Ayers came through with an RBI single in the third to increase the lead to 5-3.

Monmouth (9-24) came back with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fourth to knot the score at 5-5. It was all Knox from there. The Prairie Fire took the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Paul Bennett had a run-scoring single in the frame.

Nicholson added an RBI double in the seventh and another run scored on a Fighting Scots error to push the Prairie Fire in front 9-5. Ayers drove in Adam Estergard with a single for an insurance run in the eighth.

Knox got a fantastic effort from its bullpen. Spencer McNeil and Sammy Almohandis combined to shut down Monmouth over the final eight innings. McNeil gave up two hits and two unearned runs over three innings before Almohandis ended the Fighting Scots season by allowing only one hit over the last five frames.

The Prairie Fire finished with 14 hits and also drew seven walks in the win. Bennett, Ayers, Greg Leibach, Luke Hunter, John Curtin, and Nicholson each finished with two hits. Joey Graeff was hitless in his only at bat but got on base three times from walks.

May 09 - Ripon College

Ripon pounded out 13 hits in defeating Knox 6-3 in a first-round game of the 2008 Midwest Conference Baseball Championships. Ripon (26-8) will now play St. Norbert College (25-9), who defeated Monmouth 16-1 in the other first-round matchup, at 3 p.m. on Blodgett Field. Knox (11-23) will travel to Monmouth to battle the Fighting Scots (9-23) in an elimination game on Glasgow Field at 3 p.m.

Ripon grabbed a 1-0 lead on an unearned run in the top of the first. The Prairie Fire battled back with a pair of runs in the fourth. Greg Leibach and John Curtin had RBI hits to give Knox a 2-1 advantage.

The Red Hawks immediately answered with four runs in the top of the fifth to pull ahead 5-2. Ripon added a single tally in the ninth before the Prairie Fire threatened in their final at bat. Luke Hunter and Curtin hit back-to-back singles to start the bottom of the ninth. Kevin Malone came through with an RBI double to right to make the score 6-3. Adam Estergard, the potential tying run, flew out on a fine sliding catch by the Ripon centerfielder to end the game.

Colin Davis took the loss. He gave up five runs, four earned, over 4.2 innings. Jordan Ball surrendered one run in 4.1 innings of relief.

Curtin finished with three of Knox's nine total hits. Malone and Hunter each had two hits.

May 04 - Monmouth College

With a 9-7 win over Monmouth, Knox won the Midwest Conference South Division and will host the 2008 MWC Baseball Tournament on May 9-10. The Prairie Fire won a four-team single-elimination playoff on Sunday, May 4, with a 10-4 win over Illinois College and the victory over Monmouth, to win the division title. Knox is 11-22 overall.

Knox had to battle back from an early deficit against Monmouth to secure the division crown. Monmouth (9-22) scored three times in the top of the first inning, and after the Prairie Fire responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame, the Fighting Scots scored a pair in the top of the second for a 5-2 lead.

The Prairie Fire pulled to within a run in the third inning on an RBI double from Luke Hunter and a run-scoring single from George Nicholson. Knox took the lead for good with a five-run fifth inning. Nicholson hit a two-run single and Kevin Malone pulled a two-run home run down the rightfield line before the final Knox run scored on a Fighting Scot error.

Monmouth scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings before falling 9-7.

A pair of freshman hurlers got the job done on the mound for Knox. Colin Davis (4-1) earned the win after entering the game in the second inning in relief of Tyler Hopfauf. Davis gave up only one run over 5.2 innings. Jordan Ball worked the final 2.1 innings and surrendered a lone run to pick up his first save of the year.

Paul Bennett led the Prairie Fire's 12-hit attack with three hits. Malone, Hunter and Nicholson each collected two hits.

May 04 - Illinois College

Knox guaranteed itself a berth in the Midwest Conference Baseball Tournament on May 9-10 with a 10-4 win over Illinois College in a first-round playoff game on Sunday, May 4. The Prairie Fire will now visit Monmouth for a 3 p.m. contest this afternoon to determine the MWC South Division champion. Monmouth defeated Grinnell 11-7 in the other first-round game. The Knox-Monmouth winner will host the MWC Tournament next weekend.

Knox (10-22 overall) wasted little time in grabbing a lead over Illinois College. Adam Estergard hit a one-out single in the top of the first inning and moved to third on Paul Bennett's double down the left field line. It was one of three hits on the afternoon for Bennett. After Greg Leibach was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, Luke Hunter's fly ball was dropped by the left fielder to allow all three runners to score for a 3-0 Knox lead.

Kevin Malone picked up an RBI single in the second inning for a 4-0 Knox edge. Illinois College (18-13-1) got two runs back in the fourth inning to cut the deficit in half. Leibach and Malone hit sacrifice flies in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, to rebuild a 6-2 Knox advantage.

Leading 6-3, the Prairie Fire broke things open with a three-run eighth inning. Joey Graeff lifted a sacrifice fly to left and Estergard was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in the first two runs. The third run scored on a wild pitch. The Blueboys scored in the bottom of the eighth before Nicholson added a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth to account for the final score.

Spencer McNeil earned his first victory of the season after allowing one run over 1.2 innings of relief. McNeil was one of three Prairie Fire relievers to work a combined 5.1 innings. Jordan Ball gave up two hits and an unearned run over 2.2 innings before Sammy Almohandis threw a scoreless ninth inning. Justin Cutter started and gave up two runs over 3.2 frames.

May 03 - Illinois College (2)

With a chance to win the Midwest Conference South Division title, Knox came up on the short end of a 7-4 decision to Illinois College in the second game of a doubleheader. The loss dropped the Prairie Fire to 9-22 overall and 6-6 in the Midwest Conference. All four teams in the South Division (Knox, Illinois College, Monmouth, and Grinnell) have identical 6-6 conference records and will compete in a four-team, single-elimination playoff on Sunday, May 4, to determine the division champion.

Knox will play Illinois College in one opening-round game at 11 a.m. while Monmouth hosts Grinnell in the other first-round game also at 11 a.m. The two winners will meet at Monmouth later in the day to determine the division champion, who will host the Midwest Conference Tournament on May 9-10. The division runner-up will also qualify for the conference tournament.

Illinois College (18-12-1) never trailed in forcing the one-day playoff. The Blueboys scored once in the second inning and twice in the third to grab a 3-0 lead. Greg Leibach and Luke Hunter had RBI singles for Knox in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 3-2.

IC rebuilt its lead to 7-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Leibach launched a home run to right field to lead off the ninth for the Prairie Fire. Hunter reached on an infield single before John Curtin walked. With one out, Joey Graeff singled to score Hunter to cut the deficit to 7-4. Adam Estergard drew a two-out walk to bring the potential winning run to the plate in the form of Paul Bennett. Bennett, who homered twice in the first game of the twinbill, struck out to end the game.

Colin Davis took the loss for Knox. Spencer McNeil and Tyler Hopfauf combined to throw three scoreless innings of relief. Hunter (three) and Leibach (two) combined for five of the Prairie Fire's seven hits.

May 03 - Illinois College (1)

Paul Bennett homered twice, including a three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth inning, to lead Knox to an 11-8 win over Illinois College in the first game of a doubleheader. George Nicholson and Greg Leibach also homered as Knox improved to 9-21 overall and 6-5 in the Midwest Conference South Division.

All four Prairie Fire home runs came after the fifth inning, and all four came with two outs. Illinois College (17-12-1, 5-6 MWC) led 3-1 in the fourth inning and held a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth. John Curtin had a two-out RBI single in the sixth to even the score at 3-3. Nicholson followed with his two-run blast to left-center to give Knox its first lead of the game at 5-3.

Knox opened up its advantage in the seventh. Bennett ripped a two-out solo shot to right field before two batters later, Leibach smashed a two-run home run to right-center for an 8-3 lead.

The Blueboys took advantage of three Prairie Fire errors in the top of the eighth to plate five runs and tie the game at 8-8. In the bottom of the eighth, Nicholson reached on an infield single. Joey Graeff bunted him to second and one batter later, Adam Estergard drew a two-out walk. Bennett smacked a three-run shot to left to push Knox back in front 11-8.

Sammy Almohandis retired the side in order in the top of the ninth inning in picking up his second win of the season. Jordan Ball started and gave up three runs, all unearned, over 6.1 innings. Tyler Hopfauf threw an inning before Almohandis worked the final 1.2 frames.

Luke Hunter picked up three of Knox's 14 hits. Bennett, Leibach, Curtin and Nicholson each had two hits.

April 27 - Grinnell College (2)

The Knox offense exploded for 12 runs, and Tyler Hopfauf and Jordan Ball combined to allow only two runs as Knox stayed in the thick of the Midwest Conference South Division race with a 12-2 win over Grinnell in eight innings in the second game of a doubleheader. The Prairie Fire are 8-21 overall and 5-5 in the MWC.

All four teams in the South Division - Knox, Grinnell, Illinois College and Monmouth - have identical 5-5 records in league play heading into the final regular season weekend. The top two teams in the division qualify for the Midwest Conference Tournament on May 9-10. The South Division champion will host the four-team conference tournament.

Knox created the tie in the standings after pushing across eight runs over the final two innings to earn a split of the twinbill with Grinnell. Kevin Malone finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and four runs scored. Paul Bennett and Greg Leibach each had two hits. Bennett, who hit a three-run homer in the eighth, knocked in four runs and scored a pair.

The Prairie Fire never trailed, taking a 2-0 lead in the third. Knox added two more runs in the fifth inning before scoring four runs in both the seventh and eighth frames. Grinnell (15-14, 5-5 MWC) scored runs in the fourth and sixth innings.

The offensive output was more than enough for the two Prairie Fire hurlers. Hopfauf earned his first win of the season after working 5.2 strong innings. He allowed only six hits and two runs. Jordan Ball was nearly perfect in relief. He surrendered only one hit over the final 2.1 innings.

Knox will close the regular season at home Saturday, May 3, against Illinois College. The first game at Blodgett Field will begin at 12 p.m. Monmouth will visit Grinnell later that afternoon.

April 27 - Grinnell College (1)

Grinnell scored four unearned runs in the seventh inning to break open an eventual 10-4 win over Knox in the first game of a doubleheader. The Prairie Fire are 7-21 overall and 4-5 in the Midwest Conference.

A half inning before the fateful seventh, Knox trailed 4-2 but appeared poised to at least tie the contest. The Prairie Fire loaded the bases with only one out. Kevin Malone pulled a shot down the first-base line that would have gone for extra bases and scored at least two runs, but it was ruled just foul. Malone and George Nicholson then popped up in the infield to end the threat.

With Grinnell still nursing a 4-2 lead in the seventh, the first Pioneer batter reached on an error before the next two hitters were retired. Four straight hitters then reached base as Grinnell (15-13, 5-4 MWC) took an 8-2 lead.

Knox scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings on RBI singles from Luke Hunter and Paul Bennett, respectively. Grinnell added two runs in the top of the eighth.

The Prairie Fire held an early lead on Bennett's solo home run in the first. Another Knox run scored on an error in the opening frame for a 2-0 edge. The Pioneers scored twice in the second and scored one run in both the fourth and fifth innings. The game remained 4-2 until the seventh.

Justin Cutter took the loss. He allowed five hits and three runs over four innings. Cutter struck out four.

April 26 - Monmouth College (2)

Colin Davis surrendered only one earned run over seven innings as Knox picked up a 9-4 win over Monmouth in the second game of a doubleheader. The Prairie Fire split the doubleheader to take three of four games from the Fighting Scots this season. Knox is 7-20 overall and 4-4 in Midwest Conference South Division play.

Davis allowed seven hits and three total runs while striking out five to improve to 3-0 on the year. Spencer McNeil allowed a run over two-thirds of an inning before Sammy Almohandis closed the door with 1.1 scoreless innings. Almohandis struck out three of the five batters he faced.

With the game tied at 1-1 after three innings, the Knox offense broke things open in the fourth. The Prairie Fire took advantage of three hits and a two-run Monmouth error to plate five runs and grab a 6-1 lead. Nate Ayers, John Curtin and Adam Estergard had RBIs in the inning. Curtin later added a sacrifice fly as part of a two-run seventh inning for the Prairie Fire.

Monmouth (6-19, 5-5) scored single runs in the sixth and eighth innings for the final score.

Estergard led the Prairie Fire offensive attack with three hits. Kevin Malone and Paul Bennett each collected a pair of hits. Estergard and Curtin each knocked in two runs while Malone and Nicholson each scored twice.

April 26 - Monmouth College (1)

Monmouth used a six-run fourth inning to defeat Knox 11-9 in the first game of a doubleheader. The Prairie Fire dropped to 6-20 overall and 3-4 in the Midwest Conference South Division.

Knox had just tied the game at 1-1 on Luke Hunter's sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth inning before Monmouth (6-18, 5-4 MWC) opened things up in the bottom of the inning. Kevin Malone had an RBI groundout in the fifth inning before the Fighting Scots scored three more runs to take a 10-2 lead after five.

The Prairie Fire chipped away by scoring four runs in the sixth. Malone and George Nicholson hit run-scoring singles and Paul Bennett hit a sacrifice fly to account for the runs. Knox closed to within 10-7 on John Curtin's RBI groundout in the seventh.

After Monmouth pushed across a run in the seventh before Knox mounted a final charge. Hunter drove in Bennett with a single and Nate Ayers lifted a sacrifice fly to left in the eighth to cut the deficit to 11-9. The Prairie Fire left a runner in scoring position in the eighth and had two runners on in the ninth, but a pickoff and a double play ended the contest.

Hunter and Joey Graeff had two hits for Knox. Jordan Ball took the loss. He gave up seven runs, but only three were earned, over 3.2 innings. A total of five Knox errors led to five unearned Monmouth runs.

April 20 - Monmouth College (2)

Joey Graeff's two-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning brought in the eventual game-winning run as Knox swept Monmouth by winning the second game of a twinbill 5-4. The Prairie Fire are 6-19 overall and 3-3 in Midwest Conference South Division action.

Monmouth (5-17, 4-4 MWC) appeared to have the momentum on their side late in the game as the Fighting Scots scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to knot the score at 4-4. In the bottom of the inning, Nate Ayers collected a one-out single to right. Pinch runner Ian Pope advanced to second on John Curtin's sacrifice bunt. Graeff then lined a single to right to score Pope.

Sammy Almohandis made the lead hold up in the ninth. After the first Monmouth batter reached on an error, Almohandis induced a double-play ball and retired the final hitter on a groundball to second. Almohandis earned the win after throwing the final two innings.

Colin Davis started and worked seven strong innings. After allowing one run on three hits in the first inning, he settled down. Davis allowed only two runs and two hits over his final six innings. He struck out six.

Davis appeared in line to earn the win as the Prairie Fire tied the game at 1-1 on an unearned run in the bottom of the first before grabbing a 4-1 lead in the fifth. Kevin Malone launched a two-run home run to right and Luke Hunter had a run-scoring single in the inning. The Prairie Fire maintained the 4-1 lead until the eighth.

April 20 - Monmouth College (1)

Luke Hunter and John Curtin hit solo home runs as Knox defeated Monmouth 3-2 in the first game of a doubleheader at Blodgett Field. The Prairie Fire improved to 5-19 overall and 2-3 in Midwest Conference South Division play.

After the Fighting Scots took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Hunter's shot to right with one out in the second inning tied the game at 1-1. An inning later, Greg Leibach's single to center scored Paul Bennett to give Knox a 2-1 lead.

Monmouth (5-16, 4-3 MWC) tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth, but Curtin's blast cleared the left field fence in the bottom of the frame to put the Prairie Fire back in front.

The one-run advantage was all Jordan Ball and Sammy Almohandis needed. Ball worked 6.2 innings and allowed only the two runs to pick up the win. Almohandis struck out five over 2.1 scoreless innings of work to earn his second save of the season.

Hunter, Curtin and George Nicholson each had two hits in the victory. Knox stranded 10 runners while Monmouth left 11 on base. Each team left two runners on in four different innings.

April 15 - Millikin University

Three Knox pitchers combined to allow only five hits but the offense managed just three hits in a 2-0 loss at Millikin University. The Prairie Fire are 4-19 overall.

Jordan Ball started on the mound and gave up a two-run home run in the bottom of the first before settling down. He surrendered only four hits over his three innings of work.

Colin Davis and Sammy Almohandis came on to combine for five scoreless innings of relief. Davis gave up one hit over three innings while Almohandis threw two perfect frames.

But as good as the Knox pitching was, the Millikin (10-11) pitching was even more dominant as the Prairie Fire offense scratched out three hits. George Nicholson reached on an infield hit in the first, Paul Bennett doubled in the sixth, and Nate Ayers doubled in the ninth.

Despite the limited offensive output, the Prairie Fire had opportunities. Joey Graeff drew a one-out walk in the third. After stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch, he was stranded as Kevin Malone flew out to left and Nicholson struck out. Knox left two runners on base in both the fifth and sixth innings, and left a runner in scoring position in the eighth and ninth frames.

April 06 - St. Norbert College (2)

Paul Bennett was 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI but it wasn't enough as Knox dropped the second game of a doubleheader to St. Norbert 16-4. The Prairie Fire are 4-18 overall.

Like they did in the opener, the Green Knights raced to an early lead in the first inning. St. Norbert (8-5) scored twice in the top of the first and added three runs in the second.

The lead was 6-0 before Knox got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. John Curtin started the frame with a base hit before Bennett followed with a two-run blast to left-center. After St. Norbert extended its lead to 10-2, Knox got its final two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Joey Graeff scored on a wild pitch and Curtin added an RBI single. The Green Knights scored six times in the sixth to account for the final score.

Adam Estergard and George Nicholson each collected a hit for the Prairie Fire. Tyler Hopfauf took the loss.

April 06 - St. Norbert College (1)

Knox scratched out only three hits in dropping the first game of a doubleheader to St. Norbert 14-0. The Prairie Fire are 4-17 overall this season.

St. Norbert (7-5) scored twice in the top of the first inning and never looked back. The Green Knights scored in six of the seven innings and pounded out 17 hits.

Tyler Hopfauf collected the first Knox hit, a single leading off the bottom of the third inning. Paul Bennett doubled and Greg Leibach singled but the Prairie Fire came up empty in the fourth inning. Knox was retired in order in the final three innings.

Jason Cutter took the loss.

April 05 - Grinnell College (2)

Luke Hunter had an RBI single in the top of the ninth to break a 2-2 tie as Knox split a doubleheader at Grinnell with a 3-2 win in the second game. The Prairie Fire moved to 4-16 overall and 1-3 in Midwest Conference play.

Hunter's two-out single to right scored Adam Estergard, who led the ninth inning off by drawing a walk. He was sacrificed to second by Greg Leibach before scoring the eventual game-winning run two batters later.

Paul Bennett had given Knox a 2-1 lead in the third inning with a two-run home run. Grinnell (11-8, 2-2 MWC) tied the game in the bottom of the seventh, leading to Hunter's heroics.

Colin Davis got the win for the Prairie Fire. He surrendered only six hits and one earned run while striking out five over seven innings. Spencer McNeil worked a scoreless eighth inning before Sammy Almohandis earned the save with a perfect ninth.

April 05 - Grinnell College (1)

Knox out-hit Grinnell 10-6 but stranded seven runners on base in a 3-2 loss in the first game of a doubleheader at Grinnell. The Prairie Fire are 3-16 overall and 0-3 in the Midwest Conference.

Trailing 2-0, Knox tied the score with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Luke Hunter and Adam Estergard had RBI singles. Grinnell (11-7, 2-1 MWC) took the lead in the bottom of the fifth and hung on for the win.

Paul Bennett led the Prairie Fire attack with three hits. Greg Leibach had two.

Jordan Ball was the hard-luck loser. He allowed six hits and three runs over six innings. He also struck out five. Sammy Almohandis worked two scoreless innings in relief.

April 02 - Beloit College (2)

Beloit finished with 16 hits in a 14-3 win over Knox to complete a sweep of the doubleheader. The Prairie Fire dropped to 3-15 overall.

After a scoreless first inning, Beloit (10-4) started its damage with a pair of runs in the second. Knox threatened to take the lead in the bottom of the inning but had to settle for only a run. The Prairie Fire loaded the bases with no outs on consecutive singles from George Nicholson, Greg Leibach, and Luke Hunter. With one out, Joey Graeff drew a bases-loaded walk but that was the only run the Prairie Fire could produce as they left the bases full.

The Buccaneers kept the momentum by immediately scoring five runs in the top of the third. They pushed two more runs across in the fourth for a 9-1 lead.

Hunter and Nicholson had RBI singles in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, for Knox. Beloit ended the scoring with three runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth. Knox left two runners on base in the fifth, seventh and ninth innings. The Prairie Fire stranded 11 runners in all.

Spencer McNeil took the loss. Justin Cutter, Tyler Hopfauf, and Daniel Feldman each worked in relief.

April 02 - Beloit College (1)

Adam Estergard homered and drove in three runs in Knox's 7-5 loss to Beloit in the first game of a doubleheader. The Prairie Fire are 3-14 overall this season.

Estergard's blast, a two-run shot to left, gave Knox a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. The junior shortstop drove in Paul Bennett with a run-scoring double in the third inning to give the Prairie Fire a 3-1 advantage.

Beloit (9-4) took the lead in the fourth. In the inning, the Buccaneers sent 10 men to the plate, pounded out six hits and scored five runs to take a 6-3 lead.

Kevin Malone pulled the Prairie Fire to within a run with a two-run single up the middle in the bottom of the fifth. But Beloit added an insurance run in the sixth and held on for the 7-5 win.

Aaron Juarez took the loss in relief of Jordan Ball. Ball pitched well, allowing only one hit and one run over three innings. Sammy Almohandis surrendered only one run while striking out three over the final three frames. Bennett matched Estergard with two hits.

March 30 - Washington University (2)

Knox was held to just two hits in a 6-1 loss to Washington University in the second game of a doubleheader. The Prairie Fire dropped the two games to fall to 3-13 overall this season.

Greg Leibach's RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning scored Dan Salvato with the Prairie Fire's lone run. George Nicholson lined a sharp single to left for the only other Prairie Fire hit.

Washington (9-7) pouned out 12 hits and took advantage of three Knox errors.

Tyler Hopfauf took the loss. In relief, Spencer McNeil allowed only three hits and one unearned run over the final 3.2 innings.

March 30 - Washington University (1)

Washington University exploded for six runs in the fifth inning to defeat Knox 9-0 in the first game of a doubleheader. The Prairie Fire are 3-12 overall.

Washington scored two runs in the first and a single run in the second before taking control with the six-run outburst in the fifth. The Prairie Fire left runners on base in five innings, including leaving runners on second and third in the sixth inning.

Paul Bennett collected two of Knox's four hits. Luke Hunter doubled and Alex Petik singled for the Prairie Fire. Aaron Juarez took the loss.

March 29 - Illinois College (2)

Knox commited five errors as Illinois College picked up an 11-1 win in seven innings to sweep a doubleheader from the Prairie Fire. Knox is 3-11 overall and 0-2 in Midwest Conference play.

Along with the Knox errors, Illinois College (11-4, 2-0 MWC) collected 13 hits and five walks in the win. Only six of the 11 runs were earned.

With the score only 1-0 through three innings, the Blueboys put up four runs in the bottom of the fourth and added six more in the fifth. Knox got its run in the sixth. Tyler Hopfauf singled to score Luke Hunter, who started the frame with a base hit up the middle.

Hunter and Adam Estergard each finished with two hits. Sammy Almohandis took the loss.

March 29 - Illinois College (1)

Illinois College used a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to escape with a 6-4 win over Knox in the first game of a doubleheader. The Prairie Fire are 3-10 overall and 0-1 in the Midwest Conference.

Illinois College (10-4, 1-0 MWC) led 4-0 after three innings. Knox got two runs back in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Paul Bennett and an RBI double from George Nicholson. Luke Hunter hit a run-scoring single in the sixth inning to pull Knox to within 4-3.

In the top of the ninth, Bennett hit a lead-off double to left. After Hunter sacrificed him to third, Nicholson singled to plate the tying run. But in the bottom of the inning, Illinois College hit a two-run walk-off home run to take the win.

Nicholson finished with two of the Prairie Fire's six hits. Jordan Ball went the distance, striking out five.

March 24 - Lawrence University (2)

Knox closed its Spring Break trip to Phoenix, Arizona, with a 7-3 loss to Lawrence in the second game of a doubleheader. The Prairie Fire head home with a 3-9 record.

Kevin Malone, Adam Estergard and Greg Leibach each had two hits in the loss. Malone got the scoring started with a leadoff home run in the top of the first inning. In the third, Malone tripled and came around to score on Estergard's base hit to pull Knox to within 4-2. Logan Willits had a pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh inning to account for the final Prairie Fire run.

Sammy Almohandis took the loss.

March 24 - Lawrence University (1)

A late rally came up a little short as Knox dropped the first game of a doubleheader to Lawrence 10-9 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Prairie Fire are 3-8 overall.

Knox fell behind 8-0 after four innings before staging a comeback. In the bottom of the fifth, Kevin Malone hit a two-run single and Adam Estergard followed one out later with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 8-3.

After Lawrence put two more runs on the board in the top of the sixth, Knox again responded. Greg Leibach ripped an RBI double and later came around to score on Joey Graeff's two-out hit.

Trailing 10-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Prairie Fire nearly pulled out a victory. After the leadoff hitter was retired, Knox had five straight batters reach base. Luke Hunter's two-run triple and Leibach's RBI single pulled the Prairie Fire to within 10-8. Kevin Malone came through with a clutch two-out RBI single to reduce the deficit to a single run, but Zach Ricketts struck out with runners on second and third to end the rally.

Hunter and Malone each finished with three hits. Leibach added two hits. Jordan Ball took the loss.

March 23 - Oberlin College (2)

Knox collected nine hits and five walks and used a strong pitching performance from Colin Davis in winning the second game of a doubleheader against Oberlin 10-2 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Prairie Fire are 3-7 this season.

Knox wasted little time in taking control of the game. Paul Bennett had an RBI single and George Nicholson hit a run-scoring triple as Knox took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Ian Pope added an RBI triple and Kevin Malone hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning for a 4-0 margin. The lead grew to 5-0 in the third on Luke Hunter's single that scored Adam Estergard.

The two teams traded single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Paul Bennett launched a solo home run in the fifth and Estergard lifted a sacrifice fly in the sixth to make the score 7-2.

The Prairie Fire put things out of reach in the top of the seventh. Greg Leibach ripped a two-run double and later came around to score on a balk for the 10-2 final margin.

Bennett and Leibach each had two hits. Davis allowed only eight hits while striking out five in the complete-game effort.

March 23 - Oberlin College (1)

Knox commited five errors which led to nine unearned runs in a 9-5 loss to Oberlin in the first game of a doubleheader. The Prairie Fire are 2-7 on their Spring Break trip to Phoenix, Arizona.

The Knox offense took advantage of two Oberlin errors in the first inning for a 2-0 lead. Adam Estergard had an RBI double and a second unearned run scored on an error. Oberlin took the lead by scoring four runs on only one hit in the third inning. Three walks and one error helped Oberlin grab a 4-2 lead.

George Nicholson's single brought in Paul Bennett to trim the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the third. But Oberlin answered with three runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to take a 9-3 lead. Blaine Murphy had an RBI double and Nicholson hit an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh for the final score.

Kevin Malone matched Nicholson with two hits for Knox. Tyler Hopfauf took the loss despite allowing only two hits over three innings.

March 22 - Elmhurst College (2)

Knox was unable to complete the sweep as Elmhurst won the second game of a doubleheader 10-7 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Prairie Fire are 2-6 overall this season.

After winning the opener 12-8, Knox looked to go for the sweep by grabbing a 4-0 lead in the second game. John Curtin had an RBI groundout and Sam Magnuson had a two-out run-scoring single in the bottom of the second inning for a 2-0 lead. The next inning with two outs, Ian Pope ripped an RBI double and Curtin added an RBI single for the 4-0 Knox edge.

Elmhurst immediately responded with four runs in the fourth inning and two more runs in the fifth. In the bottom of the frame, Knox tied the game on a balk and a Curtin groundout, giving him three RBI in the game.

Elmhurst grabbed the lead for good at 9-6 with three runs in the top of the sixth. Knox got a run back in the bottom of the sixth when Paul Bennett drew a bases-loaded walk, but the Prairie Fire were unable to do any more damage and left the bases full. Elmhurst added an insurance run in the seventh to account for the final score.

Nine different Prairie Fire players collected hits. Kevin Beck took the loss in relief of Aaron Juarez.

March 22 - Elmhurst College (1)

Knox exploded for 12 hits and 12 runs in defeating Elmhurst 12-8 in the first game of a doubleheader on the Prairie Fire's Spring Break trip to Phoenix, Arizona. The Prairie Fire are 2-5 overall.

The Knox bats got to work early. The Prairie Fire scored six runs on six hits in the top of the first inning. The first seven hitters of the frame reached base. George Nicholson had the big hit of the inning, a two-run double. Adam Estergard and Greg Leibach had run-scoring singles and two runs also scored on balks.

Elmhurst came back with two runs in the bottom of the first and added a single run in the third. In the top of the fourth, Nicholson came through again. With one run already in on a passed ball, Nicholson hit a two-out single to plate Paul Bennett for a 8-3 Knox lead.

After two Prairie Fire errors led to five unearned runs to tie the game at 8-8 in the bottom of the fourth, the Knox offense again responded. Zach Ricketts and Kevin Malone had RBI singles and Adam Estergard hit a run-scoring double as part of a four-run fifth inning to give Knox a 12-8 advantage.

The relief pitching of Daniel Feldman and Sammy Almohandis made the score hold up. Feldman got the win after allowing only two hits in 2.1 scoreless innings in relief of Spencer McNeil. Almohandis pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Malone led the 12-hit attack with three hits. Estergard, Nicholson and Leibach each had two hits in the win.

March 20 - Macalester College (2)

Knox was held to just two hits in a 9-1 loss to Macalester in Phoenix, Arizona. The Prairie Fire dropped the doubleheader to fall to 1-5 this season.

Knox took an early 1-0 lead but the Prairie Fire pitching staff could not slow down the Macalester bats which banged out 14 hits. Adam Estergard hit a two-out double and later came around to score on an error for a 1-0 Knox lead in the bottom of the first inning.

The game remained 1-0 until the fourth when Macalester pushed across four runs. They added two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings and scored an insurance run in the seventh for the 9-1 win.

Greg Leibach had the only other hit for the Prairie Fire. Justin Cutter took the loss.

March 20 - Macalester College (1)

Knox committed two errors in the second inning as Macalester scored seven unearned runs in the frame in a 7-0 win in Phoenix, Arizona. Knox had four total errors in the game. The Prairie Fire are 1-4 on their Spring Break trip.

In the bottom of the second, Macalester sent 12 men to the plate, collected five hits and took advantage of the two Prairie Fire miscues for the seven unearned runs. That was all the offense they would need as Knox managed only five hits. George Nicholson had a pair of singles and stole two bases in the loss.

Sammy Almohandis was the hard-luck loser. He allowed only seven hits while striking out six over six innings.

March 19 - St. John's University (2)

Three Prairie Fire errors led to five unearned runs as St. John's swept a doubleheader from Knox with a 10-5 win in the second game of a twin bill in Phoenix, Arizona. Knox is 1-3 this season.

Trailing 3-0, the Prairie Fire got two runs back in the second inning. Alex Petik had an RBI single and Ian Pope drew a bases-loaded walk to make the score 3-2. Tyler Hopfauf hit a two-run single and John Curtin drove in a run with a two-out hit in the fourth inning as Knox grabbed a 5-3 lead.

St. John's tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the fourth and took the lead for good an inning later with an unearned run. St. John's put the game away with a four-run sixth inning. All four runs were unearned courtesy of a pair of Prairie Fire errors.

Hopfauf and Petik each had two hits in the loss. Daniel Feldman took the loss.

March 19 - St. John's University (1)

St. John's pushed across two runs in the eighth inning to defeat Knox 3-1 in eight innings in the first game of a doubleheader in Phoenix, Arizona. The Prairie Fire are 1-2 overall.

In a pitching dual, Knox scratched out only three hits through the first seven innings, two coming from Greg Leibach. The Prairie Fire led 1-0 after Kevin Malone scored on a Paul Bennett RBI groundout in the bottom of the first inning. St. John's evened things with a run in the fifth.

Prairie Fire starter Jordan Ball allowed nine hits and the three runs in the complete-game effort. He struck out three and did not walk a batter. St. John's came up with a clutch two-out, two-run single in the top of the eighth to grab a 3-1 lead.

The Knox bats showed some life in the bottom of the eighth. With two outs, Luke Hunter and Bennett hit consecutive singles, but Adam Estergard grounded into a fielder's choice to end the game.

March 18 - Concordia College (2)

John Curtin scored an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Knox an 8-7 win over Concordia. The Prairie Fire split the doubleheader on the team's Spring Break trip to Phoenix, Arizona, and are 1-1 this season.

The game went back and forth the entire way. Concordia scored in the top of the first, but Paul Bennett's single brought in Kevin Malone in the bottom of the inning to tie things at 1-1. Concordia regained the lead with two runs in the third, but again Knox answered. The Prairie Fire took advantage of an error to score three unearned runs, the last two coming on Greg Leibach's two-out base hit, to grab a 4-3 lead after three.

Both teams added two runs in the fourth. Luke Hunter hit a sacrifice fly and Alex Petik scored on a wild pitch for the two Knox runs. Concordia took a 7-6 lead with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Leibach came through in the bottom of the sixth with another run-scoring single to even the score at 7-7.

The game remained tied into extra innings until the bottom of the ninth. Curtin singled to start the inning before Joey Graeff walked. After Petik sacrificed the runners to second and third, Malone grounded out for the second out of the inning. But Hunter's groundball was mishandled by the shortstop allowing Curtin to cross the plate with the winning run.

The Prairie Fire received a strong effort from the bullpen in relief of Colin Davis. Spencer McNeil allowed two runs, one earned, over two innings before Sammy Almohandis threw two scoreless innings. Adam Estergard earned the win after working a perfect ninth inning while striking out two.

March 18 - Concordia College (1)

Knox opened the 2008 season with a 7-4 loss to Concordia on the team's Spring Break trip to Phoenix, Arizona. Knox out-hit Concordia 8-6 in the loss.

Knox trailed 4-0 after four innings before getting on the board. Paul Bennett ripped an RBI double in the top of the fifth inning, and Kevin Malone scored on a wild pitch later in the frame to cut the deficit to 4-2. But Concordia answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth.

Bennett picked up his second RBI of the game with a run-scoring single in the top of the seventh. George Nicholson added an RBI single to account for the final score.

Tyler Hopfauf started and took the loss despite allowing only one hit over 3.2 innings. He did surrender five walks and four runs, three of which were earned.