Salem Bests Knox, 14-8

THE BASICS

Salem State, 14 vs. Knox College, 8

Records: 

Salem State Vikings (4-3)

Knox College Prairie Fire (1-11)

Location: Auburndale, Fla. - RussMatt Baseball Fields

Date: Friday, March 20, 2026

THE LEAD: Despite being down by as much as four runs, the Salem State baseball team completed a successful comeback by topping Knox College, 14-8, on Friday morning.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Salem opened up the contest by grabbing an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Owen Duggan (Billerica, Mass.) recorded a two-run RBI double. However, Knox responded in the bottom half of the frame and evened the contest at two courtesy of RBIs from Miles Hoops and Andrew Garrett. 
• The Vikings retook the lead in the second thanks to an RBI single by Yabdriel Gonzalez (New Haven, Conn.), but despite the momentum, Knox's offense gave itself a comfortable advantage with a five-run second. Aidan McMurtrie highlighted the Prairie Fire's high-scoring inning with an RBI triple that had made it 6-3 at the time.
• In the following inning, Salem slowly chipped away at the deficit and made it a two-run game (7-5) thanks to RBIs from Jack Doyle (Salem, Mass.) and Aidan Lynch (North Andover, Mass.). After keeping Knox off the scoreboard in the fourth, the Vikings continued its momentum from the third into the fourth and took the lead once again by going up 10-7 after four. Jonny Payne (Seekonk, Mass.) highlighted the scoring with a three-run RBI double.
• After both sides exchanged runs in the sixth and seventh, Salem put the game out of reach in the ninth when the squad tacked on three more runs to go up 14-8 and ultimately win the contest by the same score. 

 INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

• Doyle and Payne led the Salem offense with three RBIs apiece. 
• Doyle launched his first career homer in the win. 
• Gonzalez tied his career-high in hits by going 4-6 at the plate on Friday.
• Nick Krompegal (Bristol, Conn.) earned the win after coming in for relief by going 7.1 IP and allowing four hits, one run (zero earned), and striking out a career-high eight.
• Clayton Rice and Andrew Garrett both guided the Knox offense with two RBIs each.
• Jacob Halseth took the loss after he went 3.1 IP while giving up seven hits, 10 runs, and striking out four.
• Friday's match-up marked the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

UP NEXT:

Salem wraps up Florida play with a doubleheader against Franklin&Marshall and Hamilton on Saturday, March 21.