LEBANON, Ill. - The Prairie Stars' pitching staff held the Bearcats to just three earned runs in 16 innings on Tuesday as the University of Illinois Springfield baseball team swept a doubleheader with McKendree, 4-2 and 4-2, at Hypes Field.

Junior Chance Simpson (Lewistown, Ill.) and senior Kyle Schildroth (Aviston, Ill.) started for the Prairie Stars in the doubleheader and were effective, combining to throw 12.2 innings while allowing just three earned runs. Simpson earned his second win of the season.

The Bearcats jumped out to an early lead with a run in the first inning. UIS responded in the top of the second to tie the game. After freshman Blake Thompson (Rochester, Ill.) doubled off the right field wall to move junior Aaron Kuper (Highland, Ill.) to third base, shortstop Kyle Hunsinger tied the game with a RBI-groundout to second base.

The score remained tied until the fifth. With two outs and runners on second and third, Hunsinger stole home to give UIS the lead. After a pitch got away from the catcher, Hunsinger was able to reach home when the catcher threw to second base in an effort to pick off junior Todd Phelps (Detroit, Mich.). Later in the frame, junior Gabriel Acevedo (Portage, Ind.) drove a double into the left center gap, plating a pair of runs to make the score 4-1.

The Bearcats got a run back in the bottom half of the frame on a home run, but that was all the hosts could manage as the UIS staff held McKendree in the next two innings to earn the win.

In the second half of the doubleheader, senior Kyle Schildroth got the start and pitched seven solid innings for the Prairie Stars. He allowed just three hits and one earned run.

The Bearcats opened the scoring again with a run in the first inning. UIS got back into the game in the third inning when freshman Michael Rothmund (Lombard, Ill.) launched his fourth homer of the season over the left field fence. He now leads the team with 19 runs batted in.

The Prairie Stars broke the deadlock in the next inning. With runners on first and second and two outs, junior Todd Phelps doubled down the left field line to make the score 2-1. Phelps finished with two hits, a run and two stolen bases.

The Bearcats struggled to push across the tying run until the seventh inning. McKendree's Grant Anderson hit a solo shot over the left field fence to tie the game, 2-2.

The score remained tied until the ninth inning. With a runner on second, junior Jake Redlinger (Washington, Iowa) drove in the go-ahead run with a double to right center field. He advanced to third on the throw home. The next batter, Rothmund, drove Redlinger home on a squeeze bunt.

Junior Richard England (Centerville, Iowa) pitched the final two innings to earn his second win of the season.

UIS is back in action this weekend for a four-game series with Wisconsin-Parkside.