BENTONVILLE, AR --- The Prairie Stars (4-2) opened up the 2017 campaign by winning four games in the UAM Quad State Classic in Bentonville, Arkansas. After winning both of their games on opening day, UIS split the final two days, beating both Upper Iowa and Southwest Baptist but falling to Missouri Southern and Central Missouri.

GAME 3: MISSOURI SOUTHERN 11, ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD 7
A first inning grand slam set the tone for the entire game, as Missouri Southern took a commanding 5-0 lead after the top of the first. UIS responded with runs in the first, second, and third innings but Missouri Southern kept tacking on runs, scoring three in the second and fourth innings.

Morgan Edwards went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and another homerun. Jaycee Craver took the loss in the circle going 5.1 innings and giving up 11 earned runs. Rachel Goff closed out the final 1.2 innings, surrendering two hits and no runs.

GAME 4: ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD 4, UPPER IOWA 1
Back-to-back homeruns from Ali Haesele and Erin Stroup set the tone in the second innings, giving UIS a 2-0 lead. It was the first homerun for both players this season and gave Haesele as much cushion as she needed to get the win in the circle.

Haesele helped her cause out some more in the third with an RBI double, scoring Haley Inman. UIS tacked on another run in the seventh courtesy of an error from the Peacocks.

Haesele picked up her second win of the year, throwing 4.0 innings of one hit ball, striking out two.  Craver closed out the game, throwing three innings and giving up just one run on two hits.

GAME 5: CENTRAL MISSOURI 2, ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD 1
Two runs in the first inning proved to be the difference maker in the game as Central Missouri pulled out the one-run victory. A leadoff single led to a run on a double, two batters later, which then came around to score on a single in the next at-bat.

Craver settled down, retiring the final 13 batters she faced, giving up just five hits over six innings.

UIS rallied in their final at-bat after Stroup leadoff the inning with a hit-by-pitch. After Stroup stole second, Madi Torry singled and advanced her to third and then stole second herself, putting the tying run in scoring position with no outs. A sac-fly from Goff advanced Torry to third and plated the first run for UIS.

After a walk and stolen base from Katie Wooldridge put the tying and go-ahead runners on second and third, Inman grounded into a fielders' choice as Torry was caught trying to score before Lakyn Wagoner grounded out to short to end the game.

GAME 6: ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD 1, SOUTHWEST BAPTIST 0
The final game of the weekend was one dominated by pitching, but it was UIS that came out on top, scoring the winning run in the top of the seventh inning. Haesele picked up her third win of the season, throwing a complete game, four hit shutout to get the win. Haesele struck out six and walked just one to push the Prairie Stars to victory.

In the final inning, still scoreless, Goff began the rally with a one-out walk but was taken off the bases on a fielders' choice. After an error on the first baseman put runners on the corners, Wagoner capitalized, driving home the game-winning run with a single to left field.

PRAIRIE STAR NOTES: Ali Haesele is 3-0 in the circle and has five hits (one double, one homerun) on the season … Morgan Edwards owns a .421 average with a double and two homeruns … 13 different players recorded a hit this weekend for the Prairie Stars … UIS will travel to Romeoville next weekend for the Lewis Dome Invitational