GALESBURG, Illinois - The Knox Prairie Fire softball team were victorious in their game this Monday against the Monmouth College Fighting Scots, winning by a final score of 5-3. After losing an 18-inning game to Monmouth on Friday, the win gives Knox a 4-4 record in the last eight meetings. It also ends the Prairie Fire season on a high note by winning against a team that made the conference tournament this season.
Monmouth struck early for a run in the top of the first, but the Prairie Fire fought back with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Maya McEwen drove in two of those runs with a single, sending the crowd into a frenzy and giving Knox the boost they needed. The score was evened in the top of the second, but those runs would remain the only ones that Monmouth would score.
Mimi Schweitzer pitched a great complete game, striking out four batters and working out of tight jams. After trading zeros on the scoreboard, the Prairie Fire sent two more runs across the plate in the bottom of the fourth. The team used some speed on the basepaths to help themselves out, as both Britney Salinas and Taylynn Kizer stole bases to keep Monmouth pitchers on their toes. The Fighting Scots were off balance the rest of the game, whereas Knox focused up, and they won as a result.
"This was a great way to end the season," said head coach Erin Rutledge. "We didn't play as well as we were capable of this season, but we did show that we can compete with some of the best teams in the conference. If we stayed healthy this year, I definitely think we could have made a run to move up the conference standings."