EVANSVILLE, IN – The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) baseball team coasted past the University of Southern Indiana during Sunday's Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) doubleheader.
 
UIS (19-4, 2-0) captured a 14-3 victory in Game 1 and a 4-2 win in Game 2 against Southern Indiana (8-11, 0-2).
 
The Prairie Stars are ranked No. 25 in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II poll and tied for third in the latest NCBWA NCAA Division II Midwest Region poll.
 
GAME 1: UIS 14, SOUTHERN INDIANA 3
John Sechen went 3-for-5 for the Prairie Stars while Jack Schaaf finished 3-for-6. Nick Stokowski went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a two-run single. Michael Rothmund provided a two-run double while Kenny Hansen and Zach Speaker each added an RBI double. Cole Taylor drove in three runs, going 1-for-3. Myles Hann rounded UIS's 13 hits with a single.
 
 Southern Indiana's Buddy Johnson finished 2-for-4 with an RBI double and a run-scoring single. Sam Griggs connected for a triple while Drake McNamara and Jayden Beshears contributed doubles. Bryce Krizan and Jacob Fleming also tallied singles. Southern Indiana recorded seven hits.
 
Justin Revels (4-0) took the win. He struck out 11 batters, gave up a walk and issued two runs on six hits in six and two-thirds innings. Sam Geraci tallied two strikeouts and allowed one run on one hit in one and one-third innings. Colton Hale retired each of the three batters he faced while fanning two of them,
 
Devin Williams (1-3) suffered the loss. He punched out seven batters, yielded four walks and surrendered five runs on six hits in five and one-third innings. Ryan Gulledge struck out a batter and gave up two runs on one hit in one-third of an inning. Jacob Bowles walked two batters and allowed one run on three hits in one and one-third innings. Blake Graham issued a walk and surrendered two runs on one hit in one inning. Reece Keinhelter faced five batters, issued two walks and conceded four unearned runs on one hit. Jordan Kelly allowed zero runs on one hit in one inning.
 
Speaker doubled in a run to put the Prairie Stars on the board in the top of the fourth inning.
 
Stokowski smashed a homer in the fifth to give UIS a 2-0 lead.
 
The Prairie Stars plated five runs in the sixth. Mason Coon was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Taylor and Stokowski both singled in two runs apiece.
 
Hansen connected for an RBI double to give UIS an 8-0 lead in the top of the seventh.
 
During the bottom of the seventh, the Screaming Eagles scored two runs as Johnson and Krizan provided RBI singles.
 
Johnson contributed a run-scoring double in the eighth to cut Southern Indiana's deficit to 8-3.
 
Six runs crossed the plate for UIS in the ninth. Chris Mathieu drew a bases-loaded walk. Hann scored on the next play as the result of a throwing error be the center fielder. Schaaf produced an RBI single and Taylor drew a bases-loaded walk. Rothmund drove in two runs off a double.
 
GAME 2: UIS 4, SOUTHERN INDIANA 2
Andrew Dean (5-0) notched the win for the Prairie Stars. The junior from Alvin, TX fanned seven batters, scattered four walks and allowed two runs on just one hit in six and two-thirds innings. Cam Zunkel earned his third save of the season, striking out the only batter he faced.
 
Cole Taylor ripped a two-run homer. Ben Schanding and Hansen each contributed singles to round out UIS's three hits.
 
Southern Indiana's lone hit was when Brodie Brown delivered a solo homer.
 
Kyle Griffin (2-2) was hit with the loss. He struck out six batters, issued three walks and surrendered four runs (three earned) on three hits in seven innings.
 
During the first, Stokowski knocked in Schaaf on a sacrifice fly.
 
Taylor crushed a two-run shot in the top of the third.
 
In the bottom half of the inning, Brodie Brown responded with a solo blast and cut UIS's lead to 3-1.
 
Hansen cracked an RBI single in the fifth to give the Prairie Stars a three-run lead.
 
During the seventh, Logan Brown drove in a run on a groundout.
 
UP NEXT
The Prairie Stars and the Screaming Eagles close out the four-game series with a 9 a.m. doubleheader on Monday.