SPRINGFIELD, IL – University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) head coach Shannon Guthrie eclipsed the all-time coaching wins record as the Prairie Stars swept Truman State University during Thursday's Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) doubleheader.
 
The Prairie Stars (32-11, 19-3) topped the Bulldogs (21-17, 10-12) in a 7-1 decision in Game 1. Erin Stroup drew a bases-loaded walk to seal a 4-3 victory in Game 2. At 119 career wins, Guthrie is winningest coach in program history.
 
"This team has been so much fun to be a part of and it is amazing to get to this point with them," Guthrie said. "We have two seniors that have been here for all four years and I look at how far we have all come together. Each of those wins is a thank you to our players past and present and all of our coaches. It's so much to take the field with them every game. Hopefully we have a lot more to add to the win column."
 
GAME 1: UIS 7, TRUMAN STATE 1
"At this point in the year, every win is huge. I thought we did a great job attacking our plan offensively in the first game and really used our offense to propel ourselves through the game."
 
Morgan Edwards and Ali Haesele both finished 3-for-4. Edwards cranked a two-run home run and Haesele added a double. Calla Wickenhauser went 2-for-3 with a double while Stroup finished 2-for-4. Hunter Niebrugge ripped a two-run single while Bree Derhake and Madi Torry. The Prairie Stars compiled 13 hits.
 
Michaela Mooney led Truman State, going 2-for-2 at the plate. The Bulldogs totaled six hits.
 
Haesele (19-6) captured the win. She fanned eight batters, issued two walks and gave up an unearned run on six hits in seven innings.
 
Alyssa Hadjuk (10-6) took the loss. She recorded four strikeouts, walked a batter and surrendered five runs (four earned) on six hits in two and two-thirds innings. Nicolette Simpson struck out two batters, gave up a walk and yielded two runs on seven hits in three and one-third innings.
 
During the bottom of the second inning, UIS went up 2-0 when Edwards scored on a wild pitch and Wickenhauser scored on a passed ball.
 
Stroup singled in a run during the third and Edwards blasted a two-run homer.
 
Christa Reisinger, defending GLVC Player of the Week, drew a bases-loaded walk to put Truman State on the board. Ashley Murphy tried to drop a shot into centerfield on the next at bat, but Torry made the diving catch to get UIS out of the inning.
 
"Madi made a clutch catch for us."
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Niebrugge delivered a two-run single to put UIS ahead by six.
 
GAME 2: UIS 4, TRUMAN STATE 3
"In the second game, our defense really stepped it up. I was really proud of them for stepping up and taking care of the ball."
 
Stroup went 2-for-3. Wickenhausen belted a triple and Lakyn Wagoner produced a double. Torry and Derhake provided singles, rounding out UIS's six hits.
 
Alyssa Rivera went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs. The Bulldogs put together six hits,
 
Jaycee Craver (9-2) earned the win. She punched out six batters, gave up two walks, and allowed three runs on six hits in seven innings.
 
Lauren Dale (8-9) was tagged with the loss. She fanned four batters, yielded three walks and conceded four unearned runs on six hits in six innings.
 
"Jaycee pitched a great game and moved the ball around very well."
 
Hajduk faced two batters. She retired the first batter and walked the second.
 
The Prairie Stars received some help from a couple of diving plays from Derhake.
 
"Bree played great at second base to get some key outs."
 
During the third, Jaime Fowle knocked in Mooney on a sacrifice bunt. Rivera then contributed a run-scoring single to take a 2-0 lead.
 
During the bottom half of the inning, UIS tied Truman State at 2-all. Derhake drove in Niebrugge and reached on an error. Wagoner cracked an RBI double to even the score.
 
The Prairie Stars took the lead in the fourth when Wickenhauser scored on a wild pitch.
 
Rivera smashed a solo homer in the sixth to tie the game at 3-all.
 
Haley Inman led off the seventh by drawing a walk on a 3-2 count.
 
"Haley did a great job of finding a way on base in the seventh inning to get started."
 
Haesele laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached base on an error. Derhake smacked a single to load the base.
 
The Bulldogs brought in a new pitcher to try to shut down the Prairie Stars in a bases-loaded-zero-out situation. Wagoner hit a liner that didn't drop due to a diving catch by the left field. Stroup drew a seven-pitch walk to seal the win.
 
"Ali, Bree and Erin all had productive at bats to get us the walk-off win. They found a way to get it done and that is what it is all about."
 
UP NEXT
UIS battles Quincy University (17-23, 5-15) in a GLVC doubleheader on Saturday at 12 p.m. in Quincy, IL.