GALESBURG, Ill. - The Beloit College Softball team swept this afternoon's double-header against the Knox College Prairie Fire in convincing fashion. The Buccaneers (5-12, 2-6 MWC) defeated the Prairie Fire (2-19, 0-4 MWC) 15-0 and 12-3. The Bucs offense exploded for 27 hits in just 11 innings of action. 

In game one, the Buccaneers wasted little time scoring their first runs of the game. Jocelyn Jordan (Beloit, Wis.) led off the game by reaching and advancing to second on an error by the first basemen. With Jessalyn Coppe (Niles, IL) in to run for Jordan, Siddalee Meyers (Orfordville, Wis.) tripled to score Coppe. Meyers came in to score on a passed ball, giving Beloit a 2-0 lead. After shutting down Knox in the bottom of the first, the Bucs looked to add to their lead. Starting pitcher Kaylee Witte (Poplar Grove, IL) led off the inning with a single. She moved over to second when Isabel Johnson (Austin, Texas) grounded out to the pitcher. Stella Lutes (Riverside, IL) singled to put runners on the corners for Briana Arteaga (Covina, Calif.). Arteaga hit an RBI double to score Witte. With runners on second and third, a passed ball allowed Arteaga move up 60 feet and Lutes to score from third. After two innings of play, Beloit led 4-0. The third inning was a scoreless inning for both teams. 

The Bucs blew the game wide open in the top of the fourth when they pushed 11 runs across. Three straight singles from Lutes, Arteaga and Jordan loaded the bases. Meyers hit a RBI single that scored one and kept the bases loaded. Angela Donath (Wausau, Wis.) then drew a walk to extend Beloit lead to 6-0. Rachel Overocker (Tinley Park, IL) hit another RBI single for the Bucs, this time scoring two, Meyers and Coppe who was running for Jordan. With two runners on, Allison Olson cleared the bases with a three run bomb. To restart the rally, Witte and Lylah Murrah (North Pole, AK) hit back-to-back singles and a walk from Lutes load the bases right back up. Helena Harrison (Chapel Hill, N.C.) came into pinch hit and reached on an error that allowed Witte to score. Sydney Harbison (Beloit, Wis.) grounded out to the third basemen but scored Murrah and Beloit's thirteenth run. Meyers plated run 14 with a RBI single and the fifteenth run crossed on another passed ball.  

Witte went the distance for the Bucs, giving up just three hits while striking out five. 

Unlike game one, Beloit waited until the second inning to score their first runs in game two. After Witte reached on an error, Lutes brought them both home with on swing on her first home run of the season. The Prairie Fire scored their first run of the day in the bottom of the second, cutting the Bucs lead in half. Meyers hit an RBI single in the top of the third that scored Murrah who reached on a double. Once again, in the bottom half of the inning, Knox pushed just one run across. The Buccaneers went the the fourth without scoring. In the top of the fifth, Arteaga reached on a singled and moved to second when Overocker flied out to left field. Witte made it a 5-2 game when she smacked her first home run of the season. 

The Bucs had another huge inning in the top of the sixth, scoring seven runs. Harbison led off the inning with a double and moved to third on an infield ground out from Hannah Beran (Calendonia, Ill.). Meyers reached safely on an error that scored Harbison. Arteaga singled and stole second, putting two runners in scoring position. Overocker picked up two more RBIs with a single. Witte pushed Overocker to second when she reached via an error. Back-to-back singles from Donath and Lutes extended Beloit's lead to nine, 11-2. The seventh run of the inning came when Harbison reached on an error and Lutes came home. The Prairie Fire got one run back in the bottom of the sixth, but not enough to get ride of the run rule. The Bucs won 12-3 in six innings. 

Murrah earned the start in the circle for the Bucs, going two innings before making way for Witte. WItte worked three innings and added two more strike outs to her day. Harrison closed out the final inning. 

Beloit returns to Beloit on Thursday when they host Carroll University for a non-conference match up. First pitch from Strong Complex Softball field is set for 3 pm.