INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Prairie Stars combined for 25 hits on the day as the University of Illinois Springfield baseball team split a doubleheader with Indianapolis, 6-8 and 11-6, Monday afternoon at Greyhound Park.

UIS (11-14, 5-7 GLVC) dropped a heartbreaker in the first game of the day, allowing six late runs to fall 6-8. In the final game of the series, the UIS' bats came alive to help the Prairie Stars avoid a series sweep.

Freshman Michael Rothmund (Lombard, Ill.) finished 3-for-3 with two runs batted in and three runs scored in the Prairie Stars' win.

The Prairie Stars got on the board early an often, scoring runs in the first, second and third innings. With a 2-1 lead in the second, junior Lance LeBaron (Coon Rapids, Minn.) launched a home run to left field. Then in the third, UIS added to its lead with back-to-back jacks from senior Alex Bradley (Peoria, Ill.) and junior John Schram (Bloomingdale, Ill.).

With a 6-1 lead heading into the fifth inning, the Greyhounds responded. Four runs in the bottom half of the frame made the score 6-5 in favor of the Prairie Stars.

UIS broke the game open in the seventh. After a hit-by-pitch and a double, Rothmund drove home both runners with a single to left field. Three batters later, Lebaron doubled to right field to keep the inning alive. Back-to-back singles in the next at-bats pushed three more runs across to increase the UIS lead to six, 11-5. The Greyhounds got a run back late to make the final score 11-6.

Junior Chance Simpson (Lewistown, Ill.) came in relief for the Prairie Stars and pitched well, earning his first win of the season. He threw five innings and allowed just one run while striking out two.

In the first game of the day junior Max Biedrzycki (Bolingbrook, Ill.) got the start and pitched into the fifth inning while allowing six runs, only two of which were earned.

A three-run fifth inning for the Prairie Stars gave the visitors a 6-2 lead. With runners on second and third and two outs, the Greyhounds intentionally walked Alex Bradley to load the bases. The next batter, junior Jake Redlinger (Washington, Iowa), drew a walk to drive in a run to make the score 4-2. Junior Kyle Hunsinger (Joliet, Ill.) then stepped up to the plate and delivered a two-out, two-RBI double to right field.

With the score 6-2 in favor of UIS in the bottom of the fifth, the Greyhounds took advantage of three hits and two UIS errors to tie the game. After the Prairie Stars couldn't push across any runs in the top of the sixth, UIndy took the lead with two more runs on an error and a RBI-single. The Prairie Stars went down in order in the top of the seventh as the Greyhounds captured game one, 8-6.

UIS is back in action on Wednesday for its first game on campus of the season. The Prairie Stars host McKeendree at 12 p.m.