SAUGET, Ill, - The Prairie Stars dropped their first conference series of the season after falling to Quincy, 6-9 and 1-9, Monday afternoon at GCS Ballpark.

The University of Illinois Springfield baseball team dropped the final three games of the series after winning game one behind a solid outing from starting pitcher Christopher Irwin.

Junior Max Biedrzycki made the start in game three of the series and got some run support early. After the teams traded runs in the first, UIS took the lead in the bottom of the second. With runners on second and third and nobody out, center fielder Jake Redlinger lined an RBI-single up the middle to give UIS the lead. Later in the inning, shortstop Kyle Hunsinger came around to score after the Quincy catcher threw the ball away trying to catch Redlinger stealing second base.

UIS didn't hold the lead for long. In the top of the third, the Hawks scratched across a couple of runs after the first two batters of the inning reached safely. An RBI-groundout and a wild pitch allowed the visitors to tie the game at three.

The Hawks took the lead two innings later. Three doubles and a sacrifice fly gave Quincy a three-run advantage with only two-and-a-half innings to play.
Biedrzycki's day was over after 4 2/3 innings of work. He finished with five strikeouts and allowed four earned runs.

The Prairie Stars cut into the three-run deficit in the bottom half of the frame. With a runner on second and one out, catcher Aaron Kuper drove a pitch over the left field fence for his first home run of the season.

Quincy added runs in the sixth and seventh to stretch the lead to four runs heading into the last inning. The Prairie Stars got a run back but the Hawks held on for the 9-6 victory.

The final game of the series belonged to the Hawks from the beginning. The visitors used six hits to score three runs in the first and four more in the second. UIS got a run back in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI-groundout by shortstop Ryan Walling. Quincy cruised to the 9-1 victory and claimed the series 3-1.

Junior John Schram finished 4-for-7 in the series with a pair of doubles and three RBI. Senior Alex Bradley collected a team-high five hits in the series and drove in two runs.

The Prairie Stars begin a stretch of seven games in five days with a doubleheader at Kentucky State on Wednesday.