The University of Illinois Springfield baseball team earned its first three-game sweep over an opponent this season after defeating Purdue Northwest in a doubleheader on Sunday at the UIS Baseball Field. The Prairie Stars won game one by an 8-1 margin, and had a 17-3 win in the second game.
 
In the first game, the game was largely decided in the two half innings in which the teams loaded the bases with no one out.
 
Purdue Northwest received two walks and an error to load the bases in the first inning. UIS starter Christian Stelling got a double-play ground ball and a strikeout to get out the frame with just one crossing the plate.
 
UIS was held hitless through three innings, but two singles and a walk loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth. The Prairie Stars tied the game after Kal Youngquist drew a walk, and the Prairie Stars would score three more times for a 4-1 lead. UIS would score four more off the Purdue Northwest bullpen for the seven-run win.
 
Stelling improved to 2-0 on the year, allowing just the one unearned run. He gave up three hits in 5 1/3 innings, walked four, and struck out three. Colton Hale and Cameron Zunkel pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, and combined to allow just a single hit.
 
Chris Mathieu led the offense with two hits and two RBI. Chris Monroe scored twice in the game.​
 
UIS jumped on the Pride starter in game two, scoring 11 runs off of him in the first two innings. The Prairie Stars hit four homers in the contest, including two from Zion Pettigrew, and one each from Nick Wisz and Austin Alderman.
 
Pettigrew finished with three hits, four RBI, and four runs. Alderman also had four RBI off his grand slam in the first inning, and collected three runs, and two hits. Mason Coon had two doubles off the bench, three RBI, and one run. Ruben Markham and Youngquist each had a pair of RBI, and Youngquist, Wisz, and Nick Mayerhofer all scored twice.
 
Nick Alvarado earned the win in the second game, going three innings and allowed two hits. The game was closed out by R.D. Lutze who entered in the top of the seventh with two runners on, and struck out the next three batters.
 
UIS improves to 8-2 on the season. The Prairie Stars start GLVC play next week at home against Southern Indiana.