JACKSONVILLE, IL --- Back in Great Lakes Valley Conference action, the Prairie Stars (14-11, 4-2) took the field against Southern Indiana (11-12, 4-2) in Jacksonville, Illinois due to poor field conditions in Springfield. The Prairie Stars fell twice to the Screaming Eagles, 4-2 and 10-2.
GAME ONE: SOUTHERN INDIANA 4, ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD 2
Coming off a four-game sweep of McKendree, the Prairie Star bats were held silent for the first four innings before
Cole Taylor drove in the Prairie Stars first run with an RBI double, scoring
Chris Mathieu. This tied the game at one after Southern Indiana scored a run in the third off starter,
Ethan Howard.
The Screaming Eagles plated another run in the seventh off of an RBI groundout, the same way they scored in the third. In the eighth, Southern Indiana's bats got rolling, starting the inning with three consecutive hits, scoring a run. Howard was lifted for
Sam Geraci in the inning, who got the final two outs, without giving up a run, but UIS trailed 4-1.
In the bottom half, Taylor reached on a one-out single and came into score on an RBI double from
Trey Hannam. UIS got the tying run on first with runners on the corners, but were unable to pick up any more runs, and went to the ninth trailing 4-2.
A pinch hit single from
Ben Schanding gave UIS a chance, but the Prairie Stars couldn't capitalize, falling 4-2.
Both teams had eight hits in the game while Taylor led the way for UIS with a 3-for-4 game with two doubles, a run, and RBI.
Ethan Howard (4-2) took the tough loss on the hill, throwing 7.1 innings, giving up four runs (three earned), on seven hits and striking out five.
Sam Geraci and Austin Kapusinski recorded the final five outs, giving up one hit.
GAME TWO: SOUTHERN INDIANA 10, ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD 2
Taylor wasted no time in game two putting the Prairie Stars on top, connecting for a first inning solo shot to right center. It was his eighth homerun of the season.
Southern Indiana came back with two runs of their own in the top of the second but UIS tied it up in the third on a sacrifice fly from
Myles Hann. In the third, UIS loaded the bases with nobody out but got just one run to tie the game.
The game remained tied at two until the sixth when starter,
Cameron Zunkel (0-1) retired the first batter but then surrendered consecutive hits to put runners on second and third. After an intentional walk, Zunkel was lifted for
R.D. Lutze, who walked a batter and was subject to a fielding error, bring in two more runs. The Screaming Eagles plated eight runs in the inning, the biggest blow coming on a bases clearing triple.
Austin Lukaschewski finished the inning before
Colby Carmichael pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Taylor again led the way offensively for UIS, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run.
Michael Rothmund nearly missed his 14
th homerun of the season, settling for his second triple of the year in the first inning.
Rothmund saw his 11-game hitting streak come to a close in game one but kept his 13-game reached-base streak alive with a walk and triple. Hann extended his reach-base streak to 17 before that was snapped in the second game.
These two teams will take the field again on Saturday, this time at the UIS Baseball Field with first-pitch set for 12:00 pm.
