SPRINGFIELD, IL – The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) softball clinched its first-ever berth to super-regionals after picking up 5-3 and 4-1 victories against the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) during the second NCAA Division II Midwest Regional on Saturday.
 
Sixth-seeded UMSL (35-24) battled to a 2-0 win against second-seeded UIS (40-17) in 13 innings one day earlier. The Prairie Stars needed two wins against UMSL on Saturday to lock up the regional title. UIS is ranked No. 19 in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NCAA Division II poll.
 
The Prairie Stars have won their first-ever Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) regular-season title earlier in the year. UIS qualified for its first-ever NCAA Tournament. The Prairie Stars surpassed the program record in wins on Thursday after recording to win. UIS added to its best-ever season with a regional title and the core values attributed to its success are "energy," "enthusiasm," "excitement," and "effort."
 
"We talk about using our 'E's' and they truly brought those to the field," UIS coach Shannon Guthrie said. "Everyone stepped up in their own way and executed to give the little extra we needed."
 
GAME 1: UIS 5, UMSL 3
Making an impact to UIS's productive offense was having the top of the lineup loaded with left-handed batters.
 
"We stacked up the lefties at the top and tried to string hits together with them. They all executed in their roles and did a great job getting on base."
 
Natalie Cokel went 2-for-3 in her season debut at the leadoff position.
 
"Natalie did exactly what she has been doing and got herself on base to set the table."
 
Bree Derhake finished 2-for-2 with a sacrifice bunt while continuing to make elite defensive plays in her stint at shortstop.
 
"Bree played unbelievable all weekend on both ends of the ball to give us key hits and key plays."
 
Lakyn Wagoner produced two sacrifice bunts for the Prairie Stars.
 
"Lakyn got her bat going and is such a threat with her speed and power combo."
 
Haley Inman provided a single.
 
"Haley continued to give the defense fits with her speed and that really helped boost our lineup."
 
Calla Wickenhauser ripped a two-run triple and Ali Haesele rounded out UIS's seven hits with a single.
 
For the Tritons, Lizzy Miller and Morgan Hill both went 2-for-3 while Reagan Osborn and Serena Olson finished 2-for-4 with a double. Madi Sundling and Sapphire Munoz both turned in singles. The Tritons tallied 10 hits.
 
Haesele (25-9) earned the win. She struck out two batters and tossed two and one-third perfect innings in relief. Jaycee Craver received the start. She fanned three batters and allowed three runs on 10 hits in four and two-thirds innings. Craver turned around to get the start following a 13-inning marathon one day earlier.
 
"Jaycee did not get a win, but she deserves so much credit. After going 13 innings [on Friday], she came back strong [on Saturday] and gave us the start we needed."
 
Carly Kingery (18-9) was tagged with the loss. She punched out four batters and yielded five runs (four earned) on seven hits in five and one-third innings. Andee Tiffee tallied a strikeout, gave up a walk and allowed zero runs on zero hits in two-thirds of an inning.
 
A day earlier, Kingery was perfect through six and two-third innings. She fired 13 shutout innings and punched out 17 batters.
 
"We had a much better approach at the plate to give us better at bats off of Kingery and the key hits we lacked [on Friday] were there [on Saturday]."
 
Cokel and Derhake led off a pair of singles in the bottom of the first inning. Wagoner moved Cokel and Derhake into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Cokel scored on a wild pitch to put UIS on the board. Haesele contributed an RBI single to give the Prairie Stars a 2-0 lead.
 
Munoz connected on a run-scoring single in the second to put the Tritons within a run.
 
During the fifth, Olson doubled in a run. Miller provided an RBI single to give UMSL a 3-2 lead.
 
Derhake led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. Wagoner sent Derhake to second on a sacrifice bunt. Haesele reached first on a dropped fly ball, leaving runners on first and second with one out and Wickenhauser at the plate. Wickenhauser then blasted a two-run triple to put the Prairie Stars ahead 4-3.
 
"The lefties set up a key situation for Calla. Calla was so clutch. We gave her the green light and she had the at bat of the year with her triple to get us the win. That was so great after we left runners [on base on Friday]."
 
Inman contributed an insurance run in the sixth with an RBI single.
 
GAME 2: UIS 4, UMSL 1
"The girls dug deep and found a way to get it done."
 
Wagoner went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer and three RBIs. Cokel finished 2-for-4 with a triple. Derhake went 2-for-4. Katie Wooldridge smacked a double while Inman and Morgan Edwards also added singles. The Prairie Stars put together 10 hits.
 
Miller recorded a triple and Olson delivered a double. Hill contributed an RBI single to round out UMSL's three hits.
 
Haesele notched her second win of the day. She struck out four batters and allowed one run on three hits in seven innings.
 
"Ali has the determination and competitiveness that is irreplaceable in the circle. She really stepped it up big time to go the distance and secure the win."
 
Tiffee (13-9) was hit with the loss. She fanned four batters and conceded three runs on eight hits in four and two-thirds inning. Kingery tallied a strikeout, walked a batter and surrendered an unearned run on two hits in two and one-third innings.
 
Derhake and Wagoner produced consecutive singles in the top of the first, but UMSL managed to escape the inning.
 
Wagoner crushed a two-run homer in the third to give UIS a 2-0 lead.
 
"After missing an opportunity in the first inning, they responded well the second time through the lineup and Lakyn crushed a line drive over the fence to get us the big hit we needed."
 
During the fifth, Wagoner smacked an RBI single. Wagoner then scored from first after Haesele took two bases on a dropped fly ball.
 
UMSL received its only run of the game in the fifth off an RBI single from Hill.
 
Haesele retired the final eight batters she faced to cap off the regional title.
 
"It was great to see our team work together and grind their way through the losers' bracket. I'm not sure anyone expected them to come out [of the regional], but they were so determined and were unstoppable. I can't describe how great it is to coach such a wonderful group. They are truly Stars."
 
UP NEXT
UIS will take on the winner of the first Midwest Regional. Fifth-seeded University of Southern Indiana (33-22) made it to the championship game unscathed. After top-seeded Grand Valley State University (43-8) fell to eighth-seeded Hillsdale College (25-16) in the opener, Grand Valley State posted a win against fourth-seeded University of Indianapolis (39-19) and a revenge win against Hillsdale to reach Day 3. Southern Indiana needs one win against Grand Valley State to lock up the regional crown while Grand Valley State needs two wins against Southern Indiana to take the regional title. Grand Valley State is ranked No. 9 in the nation.