The UIS Baseball team hosted Quincy, its No. 7 nationally ranked GLVC rival, at the UIS Baseball Field this weekend. The Prairie Stars earned the split by winning the first game of each doubleheader.
GAME ONE (W, 9-3)
Quincy, who ranks No. 5 in NCAA DII in home runs (63, 1.96 per game), started game one with a home run to right field. UIS responded with two runs and the game remained a back and forth affair until the Prairie Stars scored three runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings.Â
Asher Bradd went 4-for-6 and scored three runs.
Brandon Bannon went 3-for-5 with one run and three RBI. Eight additional Prairie Stars had one hit.Â
Chad Saner (4-1) took the win after allowing just four hits and one walk in six innings, striking out nine batters.
Tyler Horvath earned the save when he held the hawks to one hit in the final three innings.Â
GAME TWO (L, 13-6)
The Prairie Stars fell in game two 13-6 in seven innings. The game was tied three separate times before the fifth inning. A five-run fifth inning by the Hawks put them ahead for the last time in the seven-inning matchup.Â
Mike O'Conor contributed one hit, one run, and one RBI to the UIS offense.
Brant Vanaman stole two bases while
Asher Bradd,
Mike O'Conor and
Sam Bieser hit doubles.Â
GAME THREE (W, 14-5)
Four Prairie Stars hit doubles, two hit home runs, and no Hawks were walked in game three of the series.
Asher Bradd went 3-for-4 with one RBI while
Peyton Dillingham went 3-for-5 with three RBI.Â
Adam Brouwer improved his record to 4-0 after tallying seven strikeouts in five innings on Sunday.
Ian Delleman struck out four batters in the final two innings in which Quincy scored one run on two hits.Â
Quincy's five runs included three homers. The Hawks had eight hits in comparison to 19 by the Prairie Stars.Â
GAME FOUR (L, 10-1)
UIS dropped game four after leaving ten runners on base in nine innings. Quincy tallied 19 hits and scored three runs in each of the final two innings.Â
Raul Ortega led the offense with two hits including a home run on the first pitch of the fifth inning.
Asher Bradd went 3-for-3 but did not score.Â
UIS is 22-8 and 12-4 in conference play. The Prairie Stars will play the McKendree Bearcats in a four-game series starting on Thursday.Â