The UIS baseball team (17-7, 6-1 GLVC) earned a pair of wins over Drury on Saturday in a doubleheader of seven-inning games, rallying for a 9-8 comeback victory before powering past the Panthers 12-5 in the day's second game.
GAME TWO | W, 9-8
Drury took control early, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning behind a three-run double from Carter Wambach. The Panthers added three more runs in the second to extend the lead to 6-0 before UIS got on the board with an RBI single from
Jesse Contreras, making it 6-1.
The Prairie Stars answered in the fifth inning with a five-run rally to make it an 8-6 game.
Kody Morton and
Drew Ezard each delivered two-RBI doubles to key the comeback.
UIS put up runs again in the sixth, as
Corey Boyette and Morton scored on a two-RBI double from
Kaden Griffitts to even the score at 8-8.
In the seventh,
Johnny Wendling worked a walk, stole second, and came around to score on Contreras' go-ahead single, earning UIS the 9-8 win.
Trey Carter started and struck out six over 4 2/3 innings.
Brayden Mayer provided key relief, and
Austin Loberger earned the win with a clean seventh.
Contreras led the offense with three hits and three RBIs. Morton and Griffitts each drove in two runs, while Boyette added two hits and scored twice.
GAME THREE | W, 12-5
UIS wasted no time in the second game, as Boyette and Griffitts each launched solo home runs in the first inning to take an early 2-1 lead.
Drury moved ahead in the second, though the Prairie Stars responded in the third. Griffitts and
Noah Caceres delivered RBI singles, and Wendling was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in another run, putting UIS ahead at 4-3.
The offense broke the game open in the fifth with four runs. Caceres hit a two-run home run, Ezard added an RBI triple, and
Chris Suchoski drove in a run with a groundout to make it 8-3.
UIS continued to add on in the sixth, highlighted by Griffitts' second home run of the game—a two-run shot—along with additional runs on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly from Suchoski to extend the lead to 12-5.
Graham Kasey earned the win, striking out five over five innings.
Zane Danielson closed out the game with two scoreless innings in relief.
Griffitts led the way with three hits, two home runs, and three RBIs. Caceres matched him with three hits, including a home run, and three RBIs. Boyette added a home run and scored three times.
Up Next
The Prairie Stars return to the field Sunday at noon for the series finale against Drury, with a chance to secure the series win.
