SPRINGFIELD, IL --- On a cold, windy day in Springfield, the Prairie Stars (12-12) erased an early 4-0 deficit against the Harris Stowe Hornets (15-19) and came out on top by a score of 7-6. After a slow start defensively, UIS scored in five straight innings to take a 7-5 lead before closing out their fourth victory in their last six games.
Dan Pacha picked up his first win of the season out of the bullpen, before
Aaron Kuper and
Richard England finished off the final two frames.
In the first, UIS surrendered three runs as the Hornets put together a rally on two hits and capitalizing on a Prairie Star error. Harris Stowe put another on the board in the second inning, again, using a Prairie Star error and took a 4-0 lead.
Trey Hannam got the offense rolling to begin the second as he blasted his third homerun of the season, a solo shot to left center. UIS crossed the plate again in the third after back-to-back singles from Kuper and
Austin Muench set up the inning.
Gabriel Acevedo cashed in after a double steal, hitting a sacrifice fly to center to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Kyle Hunsinger, who entered the game in the second inning, came up with a two-run single down the right field line which tied the game at four in the fourth inning. This got starting pitcher,
Kyle Strepek off the hook for the loss after throwing three innings, surrendering four runs (two earned). In his three innings of work, Strepek allowed five hits and walked two.
Jason Galeano picked up his first RBI of the game in the fifth, driving in Acededo and giving UIS their first lead of the game. Pacha, who had worked two scoreless innings, surrendered a run in the sixth but UIS got two back in the bottom half to push their lead to 7-5. Hannam drove in his second run of the game with a sacrifice fly before Austin Muench scored on an errant pick-off attempt from the Hornets.
Kuper worked a scoreless eighth, working around a walk and a hit by pitch, handing the ball to England for the save opportunity. A leadoff walk and a single put the tying run on base and both were advanced on a sacrifice bunt. An RBI groundout scored one for the Hornets but England induced an easy fly ball to center field, giving
Jake Redlinger his sixth putout of the game, which went along with one assist for the senior centerfielder.
Hannam, Galeano, and Redlinger each had two hits on the game to lead the offense while Pacha threw four innings out of the bullpen, giving up just one earned on one hit, striking out a season-high four batters. England picked up his fourth save, putting him in a tie for fourth in the GLVC.
UIS will square off with Lindenwood – St. Charles tomorrow in another midweek contest in their final tune-up before visiting Lewis University for a four-game set this weekend. Lewis is currently second in the GLVC east, while UIS sits in sixth.
