A mixture of great pitching and two big innings offensively helped the University of Illinois Springfield baseball team open up its McKendree series in Lebanon, Ill. with a 10-0 victory.
 
Brock Immke got the Prairie Stars off to a good start by not allowing a hit through the first four innings. Offensively, UIS took a 4-0 lead in the third after two-run homers by John Sechen and Chris Monroe.
 
Immke's no-hit bid was ended in the fifth inning with a lead-off single by the Bearcats, but that runner was quickly erased on a double-play groundball. McKendree had another threat in the sixth inning when it loaded the bases with one out. Brayden Jensen entered the game in relief, and needed just one pitch to get out of the inning, as he induced a double-play ball to the second baseman.
 
In the seventh, UIS put the game out of reach with six runs. The big hit was a three-run double by Brandon Bannon. McKendree had one more chance to extend the game in the seventh inning, and got two runners on with one out. For the third straight inning, the Bearcats hit into a double play, this time ending the game by the run rule.
 
Immke finished the game by allowing just two hits and no runs in 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out five batters, and he improved to 5-2 on the year. Brayden Jensen picked up his first save after going 1 2/3 innings, and allowing just two hits and no runs. The shutout was the second for UIS this season.
 
Offensively, UIS had a balanced effort with eight different players scoring its 10 runs. Ben Schanding and Chris Monroe each scored twice. Sechen, Monroe, Austin Alderman, and Zach Abfall all had two hits.
 
UIS improves to 22-11-1 on the season, and 13-9 in GLVC play. The Prairie Stars and McKendree will play a doubleheader tomorrow, starting at 11 a.m.