SPRINGFIELD, IL – The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) baseball team took down the program record for wins in a season while dismantling the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (UW-Parkside) in Sunday's Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) doubleheader.
 
UIS (35-4, 16-0) took a 6-4 win against UW-Parkside (4-25, 3-13) in Game 1. The Prairie Stars charged to a 13-1 win against the Rangers in seven innings in Game 2. UIS topped the previous program record of 33 wins in 2017.
 
The Prairie Stars are ranked No. 5 in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II poll.
 
GAME 1: UIS 6, UW-PARKSIDE 4
Jack Schaaf went 2-for-2 with a double. Myles Hann added a double and two RBIS, going 2-for-3. Cole Taylor finished 2-for-4 with a double. Michael Rothmund smashed a two-run home run. Kenny Hansen contributed a double. John Sechen and Nick Mayerhofer rounded out UIS's 10 hits.
 
Troy Bittenbender led UW-Parkside, going 3-for-3 with a two-run blast. UW-Parkside tallied six hits.
 
Sam Geraci (3-0) picked up the win, striking out both of the batters he faced. Brayden Jensen started for the Prairie Stars. He struck out eight batters, issued two walks and allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits in five and one-third innings. Cam Zunkel picked up his sixth save of the season. He faced three batters and fanned two batters.
 
Connor Cunningham (0-7) was hit with the loss. He punched out four batters and gave up six runs (four earned) on 10 hits in six innings.
 
Bittenbender cranked a two-run homer in the top of the first inning to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.
 
Rothmund evened the score by connecting with a two-run homer of his own.
 
Hann singled in a run in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead.
 
Max Widmar provided a run-scoring single in the sixth. Domenic Hammudeh stole home to give UW-Parkside a 4-3 lead.
 
Hann belted an RBI double in the bottom half of the inning. Schaff scored on a passed ball and then Chris Mathieu knocked in Hann on a sacrifice bunt.
 
Zunkel retired each of the three batters he faced in the top of the seventh to close out the game.
 
GAME 2: UIS 13, UW-PARKSIDE 1 (F/7)
Zach Speaker went 2-for-3 with four RBIs. He produced a two-run homer, an RBI single and knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly.
 
Nick Stokowski finished 2-for-3 with two RBI singles. Ben Schanding went 2-for-3 with a double.
 
Hann blasted a three-run homer. Rothmund provided a double.
 
Taylor went 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Hansen recorded an RBI single. The Prairie Stars contributed 10 hits.
 
Nick Sramek went 2-for-4 with a double for the Rangers. Bittenbender provided a double. Widmar and Dominic Esposito also registered singles to round out UW-Parkside's five hits.
 
Colton Hale (6-0) secured the win. He fanned two batters, allowed one walk and yielded one hit in three scoreless innings. Alec Altmeyer punched out four batters, conceded two walks and surrendered one run on four hits in four innings.
 
Jarrett Rossiano (0-5) took the loss. He walked three batters and allowed five runs on six hits in three innings. Cole Vento gave up a walk and a run in one inning. Conner Lowman struck out a batter, issued two walks and scattered four runs on one hit in one-third of an inning. Kyle Portner faced two batters and gave up a run and a hit. Daniel Nelson fanned four batters, allowed three walks and yielded two runs on two hits in one and two-thirds innings.
 
UP NEXT
The Prairie Stars are scheduled for six games next week. UIS takes on the University of Missouri-St. Louis (18-22) on Tuesday at 3 p.m. in St. Louis, MO. The Prairie Stars then face off with Missouri S&T (18-21) on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in Rolla, MO. UIS then invades Louisville, KY as the Prairie Stars challenge No. 25 Bellarmine University (33-12, 15-5) for GLVC East Division implications. Both teams are scheduled for 11 a.m. CT doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday. UIS needs two wins to clinch the GLVC East Division title.