The Illinois Springfield baseball team (3-0) secured a narrow 7-6 victory over Savannah St. (1-1) on Saturday, capitalizing on a three-run ninth inning to clinch the win. Both teams recorded nine hits, but Ill.-Springfield's late surge proved decisive. This victory completed the series sweep, marking a 3-0 start to the season for the Prairie Stars.
Tommy Atkinson launched a solo home run to left field on the game's first pitch, giving UIS an early lead. Savannah State responded by capitalizing on a pair of wild pitches to even the score at 1-1 after the first inning.
In the fifth inning, SSU broke the deadlock with a series of hits and a sacrifice fly, bringing four runs across the plate to take a 5-1 lead. The Prairie Stars responded in the sixth inning when
Hunter Moser delivered a clutch two-RBI single, cutting the deficit to two runs at 5-3.
The seventh inning saw the Prairie Stars continue to chip away at Savannah State's lead.
Corey Boyette's RBI single brought
Chris Suchoski home, tightening the score to 5-4. The Tigers managed to add one more run in the eighth inning, extending their lead to 6-4.
In a dramatic ninth inning, the Prairie Stars rallied.
Kody Morton hit a two-RBI double to tie the game, then Moser walked with the bases loaded to drive in the go-ahead run.
Mark DeCicco pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits while striking out four and walking two.
Graham Kasey entered in relief, throwing 3 innings and giving up one earned run with five strikeouts and three walks.
Brayden Mayer closed out the game with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and earning the win.
Atkinson contributed significantly with a home run and two runs scored. Morton added two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs while crossing the plate twice himself. Moser made a notable offensive contribution by recording three RBIs on two hits. On the defensive side,
Johnny Wendling recorded four assists at third base.
The Prairie Stars hold a perfect record of 3-0. SSU fell to 1-5.
"Great win and a sweep on the road — especially against a strong Savannah State team that was one win from a regional last season and competed in one in 2024," head coach
Chris Rodriguez stated. "Mark pitched well overall, just ran into some tough luck in the fifth. Graham was outstanding out of the pen, keeping us in the game. Hunter and Kody delivered big hits in key moments, with Kody's two-strike hit in the ninth tying it up. We look forward to getting to work this week and continuing to improve."
Up Next
UIS is headed to Lakeland, Fla., on Feb, 13-15 for a four-game series at Florida Southern.
