MOUNT VERNON – Cornell and Knox traded a pair of dominant outings from its starting pitchers in Saturday's Midwest Conference baseball split at Ash Park Field.
 
Cornell junior right-hander Jake Schope was tough in Game 1, striking out 12 and yielding just three hits in a 7-4 victory. Knox countered with Matthew Shover in Game 2 and claimed a 2-0 shutout win.
 
The Rams (8-12 overall, 3-3 MWC) and Knox (3-12 overall, 2-3 MWC) will play the rubber game of the series at noon Sunday in Galesburg, Ill. Cornell is also scheduled to play Augustana Sunday in a nonconference game at 4:30 p.m. in Moline, Ill.
 
Schope established a new career strikeout high in his impressive eight-inning effort. He faced only five batters over the minimum.
 
Knox scored twice in the top of the ninth and brought the tying run to the plate with one out, when Cornell's Carter Kriegel came on to close it. Kriegel recorded back-to-back strikeouts to earn his second save of the spring.
 
The Rams got two hits apiece from Kale Rose, Darren Mancke and Colin Konicek. Mancke doubled twice. Rose also had two extra-base hits, including a solo homer in the eighth. Konicek added two RBIs. James Kent stole three bases.
 
Cornell's lineup was bottled up with only two hits against Shover in Game 2. The Rams managed a two-out single from Mancke in the second and a leadoff single from Paxon Wright in the fifth.
 
Knox scored its first run on a two-out double in the fifth. The Prairie Fire also doubled home a run in the seventh.
 
Cornell starter Will Miller scattered just two hits over five innings and fanned five. Vince Zipperer pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in relief, striking out three.