The University of Illinois Springfield baseball team was able to overcome an early 4-0 deficit, but it could never grab the lead in a loss in the opening game of the NCAA Division II Midwest Super Regional in Ashland, Ohio. Ashland won game one of the best-of-three series by a 7-4 decision.
 
Ashland took a 4-0 advantage in the third inning. The first batter reached base after being hit by a pitch. After one out was recorded, the Eagles collected four straight hits, and four runs crossed the plate before the inning was out.
 
UIS came back to knot the score at four with a pair of runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, Nick Mayerhofer opened the inning with a single, and John Sechen hit a double down the line. Ruben Markham then singled up the middle to make it 4-2.
 
In the sixth, Chris Mathieu opened up the inning with a home run to left field. UIS then loaded the bases with one out for Markham. Markham hit a chopper to third base that caused a force out at third, but also tied the game.
 
R.D. Lutze pitched a scoreless fourth and fifth innings of relief for UIS, but Ashland was able to get to the Prairie Stars bullpen in the sixth inning. UIS had two outs in the inning, but the Eagles had runners on third and second. An infield single scored what turned out to be the winning run, and an error caused a second run to score. Ashland added one more run in the eighth, and UIS could not cross the plate again in the game.
 
Ashland outhit UIS by a 10-9 margin, and the Eagles had three errors, compared to two for the Prairie Stars. The leadoff man in each inning proved to be important as every inning with a run was started by the leadoff batter reaching base. UIS got its leadoff man on base in just three innings, compared to five for Ashland.
 
Markham finished with a team-high three RBI, and Mathieu had the other RBI. Sechen, Mathieu, Austin Alderman, and Mayerhofer all scored in the game. Sechen had two doubles and also reached once on a walk. Mathieu and Mayerhofer each had two hits.
 
UIS, which falls to 40-16-1 on the season, will now have to win twice on Saturday in order to advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships. The Prairie Stars and Ashland will play game two at 12 p.m. (11 a.m. central), and, if needed, game three will follow immediately after.