No. 24-ranked Illinois Springfield secured a Saturday sweep of Quincy, taking game one 9-5 in walk-off fashion before rolling to an 18-1 victory in game two. The Prairie Stars improved to 21-7 overall and 10-1 in GLVC play, while Quincy fell to 19-12 and 8-7 in the conference.

GAME TWO| W, 9-5
Quincy struck first in the opener with an RBI double in the first inning and a solo home run from in the second to build a 2-0 lead.

UIS answered in the fourth inning. Kody Morton scored on a sacrifice fly by Jesse Contreras, and Tommy Atkinson followed with a two-run single to bring home Johnny Wendling and Noah Caceres and tie the game at 3-3.

The Prairie Stars moved in front in the fifth when Caceres hit a solo home run and Wendling later scored on a hit-by-pitch to make it 5-3. Quincy rallied to tie the game at 5-5 in the top of the seventh, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

In the bottom of the seventh, Wendling doubled and Dillon Smail entered as a pinch runner. Drew Ezard walked and Contreras laid down a bunt to load the bases before Hunter Moser delivered a pinch-hit walk-off grand slam to seal the 9-5 win.

Trey Carter started for UIS and pitched 3 2/3 innings with three strikeouts. Zane Danielson followed with 2 1/3 innings in relief, and Derek Huber earned the win after a scoreless seventh inning.

Caceres homered and scored twice in the opener, while Atkinson finished with two hits and two RBIs.

GAME THREE| W, 18-1
UIS carried the momentum into the second game of the day with a four-run first inning. Atkinson and Corey Boyette opened the rally with singles before Wendling drove in two runs with a double. Caceres and Morton each added RBI hits to make it 4-0.

Boyette later scored on another Wendling double in the second inning, and the Prairie Stars broke the game open in the third. Kaden Griffitts launched another grand slam, and Wendling followed with a solo home run as UIS built an 11-0 advantage.

Quincy scored its only run of the game in the fourth inning on a wild pitch, but Atkinson answered with a solo home run later in the frame. Wendling added his second home run of the game in the fifth inning to push the lead to 14-1.

UIS scored four more runs in the sixth, taking advantage of Quincy errors and walks. Lucas Pajeau drew an RBI walk, Dominic Terrell reached on an error that allowed two runs to score, and Caceres added an RBI single to complete the 18-1 victory.

Mark DeCicco turned in a dominant outing on the mound, pitching 6 1/3 innings and allowing just one run while striking out four. Quinn Hoftender closed out the game with 2/3 of a scoreless inning, surrendering neither a hit nor a run.

Atkinson finished the game with four hits, four runs scored, and two RBIs. Wendling had four hits, two home runs, and six RBIs, while Griffitts added a grand slam, therefore four more RBIs.

Up Next
UIS secured the series victory and will go for the sweep against Quincy at noon on Sunday in Springfield.