SAUGET, Ill. – The Prairie Stars earned a split on Sunday against the Truman State Bulldogs, 5-4 and 0-7, at GCS Ballpark.

The University of Illinois Springfield baseball team (4-5) grabbed a win in the third game of the series in extra innings. Junior Aaron Kuper (Highland, Ill.) delivered a walk-off single to right center field in the eighth inning to give the Prairie Stars the 5-4 win. Junior Richard England (Centerville, Iowa) picked up his first victory of the season.

The 7-8-9 hitters stepped up for the Prairie Stars in the first game of the day, combining to hit 6-for-10 with three runs-batted-in and three runs scored.

The Prairie Stars trailed the Bulldogs 3-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. Kuper led off the frame with a single through the right side of the infield. The very next batter, sophomore Brooks Rohrman, launched a home run over the left center fence to tie the game, 3-3.

Truman nearly scored the go-ahead in the seventh. A double sandwiched by two walks loaded the bases for the Bulldogs with one out. Senior Kyle Schildroth (Aviston, Ill.) induced a ground ball in the next at-bat and the Prairie Stars turned a perfect 1-2-3 double play.

After the Bulldogs took the lead in the top of the eighth, senior Alex Bradley (Peoria, Ill.) led off for UIS with a single to right field. After a strikeout and a walk put runners on first and second with one out, freshman Troy Cantu, in his second at-bat of the series, drove home the tying run with a sharp single through the left side.

Two batters later, Kuper stepped up to the dish and won the game for the Prairie Stars with a walk-off single to right center field.

Junior Max Biedrzycki got the start for UIS and pitched well over five innings, allowing two earned runs while striking out six.

In the final game of the series, Truman got on the board early and often as the visitors blanked the Prairie Stars, 7-0. Truman's Kent Frantz was in top form, tossing a complete-game shutout.

Trailing 3-0 in the fourth inning, UIS brought the tying run to the plate after putting runners on second and third with just one out. Junior Calvin Jimenez (New York, N.Y) nearly brought home a run with sacrifice fly to right field, but the right fielder made a great throw to the plate for the double play to escape the inning unscathed.

UIS is in action next weekend at home against Quincy. Check back at uisprairiestars.com for potential schedule changes later in the week.