ROSEMONT, IL --- The Prairie Stars (4-4) faced two of the top teams in the nation to open the Dome Invite, falling to Wayne State 4-0 before getting bested by #4 Grand Valley State 3-0 in the nightcap. UIS faced the reigning NCAA Division II Player of the Year before taking on the fourth ranked Lakers.

GAME ONE: WAYNE STATE 4, ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD 0
Against quite possibly the best pitcher they will face all year, the Prairie Stars battled in the first game of the Dome Invitational but ultimately fell 4-0 to the Warriors. The two teams remained scoreless as Rachel Goff (0-1) held the visitors on the scoreboard scoreless for two innings before surrendering her first runs in the third.

Jaycee Craver relieved Goff in the fourth and finished the final four innings of the game, giving up two runs on six hits while striking out two.

The Prairie Stars managed three hits against Lyndsay Butler, two coming off the bat of Katie Wooldridge who singled in the third and again in the sixth. Erin Stroup picked up the other hit with a single in the second inning.

GAME TWO: #4 GRAND VALLEY STATE 3, ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD 0
UIS faced off against the highest ranked opponent set on their schedule in the 4^th ranked Lakers in the final game of the night. With Brittany Moore making her collegiate debut in the circle, the freshman suffered some unfortunate luck as GVSU capitalized on an error on the first play, and scored three runs in the top of the first.

Moore would quickly settle down, shutting out the Lakers over the next five innings, holding their offense to just five hits after the first inning. Moore threw six innings in her first start, giving up three runs (two earned) on nine hits while striking out two and walking none.

Stroup picked up another hit and walk in the second game of the night while Allison Rose and Lakyn Wagoner each had pinch hit singles for the Prairie Stars.

PRAIRIE STAR NOTES: UIS falls to 4-4 after suffering back-to-back losses for the first time this season … Stroup ended the day 2-for-5 with a walk … The Prairie Stars will play again tomorrow at 11 and 3:30 against Findlay and Ashland.