SPRINGFIELD, IL – The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) baseball team captured its first-ever Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) East Division title on Sunday.
 
UIS (40-5, 19-1) swept Bellarmine University (34-15, 16-8) in Sunday's GLVC doubleheader. The Prairie Stars posted a 5-3 victory in Game 1 and a 14-5 win in Game 2. UIS and Bellarmine hold the top two spots, respectively, in the latest NCAA Midwest Region rankings. The Prairie Stars are ranked No. 5 in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II poll, while the Knights are ranked No. 17.
 
GAME 1: UIS 5, BELLARMINE 3
Troy Cantu and Cole Taylor each finished 2-for-3 with a two-run home run. John Sechen went 2-for-4 at the plate. Michael Rothmund contributed a solo homer. Jack Schaaf rounded out UIS's eight hits with a single.
 
Brady Pfaadt produced a three-run homer for Bellarmine. Josh Finerty added a double and Alex Ralph rounded out Bellarmine's three hits with a single.
 
Brayden Jensen (3-1) notched the win for the Prairie Stars. He struck out four batters, issued two walks and gave up three runs on three hits in five innings. Cam Zunkel picked up his seventh save of the season. He punched out two batters and allowed one walk in two scoreless innings.
 
Hunter Spencer (5-2) was handed the loss. He walked three batters and surrendered five runs on eight hits in four and two-thirds innings. Anthony Ethington fanned three batters and conceded two walks in two and one-third scoreless innings.
 
Cantu put the Prairie Stars on the board with a two-run blast in the top of the second inning. Pfaadt gave Bellarmine a 3-2 lead with a three-run shot in the bottom half of the inning.
 
In the fourth, Taylor provided a two-run homer and Rothmund smashed a solo homer.
 
Zunkel closed out the final two innings without allowing a hit.
 
GAME 2: UIS 14, BELLARMINE 5
Nick Stokowski produced six RBIs including two two-run bombs. The senior from Monticello, IL went 3-for-4 at the plate.
 
Cole Taylor finished 3-for-6 with three RBIs. The senior from Fairmount, IL added a two-run homer.
 
John Sechen went 2-for-4 with a two-run single. Drew Harper finished 2-for-2. Rothmund and Kenny Hansen each tallied doubles. Myles Hann and Tyler Hilton each contributed singles, rounding out UIS's 14 hits.
 
Ralph finished 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. Zac Wiley went 3-for-5 and Griffin Neuer went 2-for-5. Pfaadt and Jacob Mulcahy each added singles, rounding out Bellarmine's 10 hits.
 
Alec Altmeyer (2-0) recorded the win. He struck out two batters, allowed one walk and gave up one run on two hits in two innings. Colton Hale punched out four batters, issued three walks and surrendered four runs (three earned) on five hits in two and one-third innings. R.D. Lutze strick out two batters and gave up one hit in one and two-thirds scoreless innings. Mason Coon faced one batter and allowed one hit. Sam Geraci retired both of the batters he faced, including striking out one batter. Nick Alvarado retired each of the four batters he faced, including fanning a batter. Nick Alvarado retired each of the three batters he faced, including punching out a batter.
 
Pfaadt (4-4) was tagged with the loss. He struck out four batters, yielded four walks and surrendered four runs on three hits in two and one-third innings. Alex Phillips recorded six strikeouts, walked three batters and conceded four runs on seven hits in five innings. Yancey Pritchett allowed one walk and gave up five runs on two hits in one-third of an inning. Nolan may conceded one run on one hit in one-third of an inning. Duncan Amerin was ejected following his first pitch. William Poe struck out two batters and gave up one hit in one scoreless inning.
 
Stokowski connected for a two-run single in the first.
 
Bellarmine took a 4-2 lead after three innings. Ralph cracked a two-run single where Finerty also scored on an error. Pfaadt also provided an RBI single.
 
Stokowski smashed a two-run homer in the fifth.
 
During the sixth, Schaaf scored on a wild pitch and Taylor drove in a run on a single, giving the Prairie Stars a 6-4 advantage.
 
Ralph delivered a solo homer in the bottom half of the inning to cut Bellarmine's deficit to 6-5.
 
UIS plated eight runs in the eighth. Stokowski belted a two-run homer and Schaaf drew a bases-loaded walk. Ben Schanding knocked in Hilton on a sacrifice fly. Sechen cracked a two-run single and Taylor blasted a two-run homer.
 
UP NEXT
The Prairie Stars welcome Robert Morris University-Peoria (8-18) next Tuesday at 3 p.m at the UIS Baseball Field. UIS closes out the GLVC regular season with a pair of 12 p.m. doubleheaders against Lewis University (19-23-1, 8-11) next Friday and Saturday at the UIS Baseball Field.