SPRINGFIELD, IL --- The Prairie Stars (19-12, 9-3) completed their second four-game GLVC sweep of the season, taking all four games against the Lewis Flyers (6-24, 2-10), the final two by scores of 7-2 and 9-4.
Adam Gregory (6-2) picked up his team-leading sixth win of the season with a complete-game gem, striking out a career-high nine batters. In game two, Braden Jensen (4-0) stayed undefeated on the season, throwing six innings before handing it off to the bullpen.
GAME ONE: ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD 7, LEWIS 2
Lewis notched the first run of the day with a solo homerun to left field, but UIS came back with a run in the bottom half, scoring on a Flyer error to tie the score.
The Flyers regained the lead with a run in the third on an RBI groundout, as each pitcher kept the opposing offense at bay, even with a 15 mph wind blowing to left.
In the fifth, UIS tied the game with a two-out RBI single from
Austin Muench, finally breaking through against Flyer starter Nick Davito.
In the sixth, UIS got to the Flyer bullpen and reached on back-to-back walks to start the inning before
Myles Hann tripled in both runs to take a 4-2 lead. After a walk to
Kenny Hansen,
Drew Harper opened the game up with a three-run blast, his second of the weekend.
Gregory closed out the final inning, working around two singles, and picked up his sixth win of the year. The sophomore southpaw finished the game allowing just two runs on eight hits and striking out a career-high nine batters.
At the plate, six different players recorded a hit for the Prairie Stars while Harper drove in three and scored twice.
GAME TWO: ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD 9, LEWIS 4
To begin the second game, Jensen came out with a perfect first inning, setting up the Prairie Stars to plate three runs in the bottom half. Hannam doubled in the first run before
Myles Hann blasted a three-run shot to center field.
The early scoring continued for the Prairie Stars in the second with an RBI single from Harper before
Michael Rothmund drove in two on a double off the center field wall.
Up 6-0, the Prairie Stars surrendered their first run in the third and another in the fourth before coming back with a run of their own in the fifth to push the score back to 7-2. An error in the sixth helped push another UIS run across to make the score 8-2.
Lewis plated two runs in the seventh on a two-out single but a run in the eighth gave UIS a 9-4 lead where it became final.
Jensen took the win after throwing six innings and allowing two runs on five hits, striking out seven. Austin Kapusinski relieved Jensen and surrendered two runs before
Colby Carmichael and
Sam Geraci closed the final two innings.
Hannam led the way offensively, going 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI and a run. Hann and
Ben Schanding each had two hits.
UIS picked up their second GLVC sweep of the season --- the other coming against McKendree --- and now sit in second place in the east division, a game up on both Bellarmine and the University of Indianapolis.
