No. 15 Illinois Springfield baseball dropped both games of a doubleheader at Missouri S&T on Saturday, falling 7-4 in the opener and 10-4 in the second game.

The Miners took a 2-0 lead on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly in the opening inning. UIS answered in the second, as Kaden Griffitts singled and Noah Caceres doubled to set up Johnny Wendling, who drove in both runners with a double. Wendling later scored on a wild pitch to give the Prairie Stars a 3-2 advantage through two innings.

UIS added another run in the third when Griffitts doubled and eventually scored on an error, pushing the lead to 4-2. Missouri S&T responded with two unearned runs in the bottom half to tie the game at 4-4.

The Miners took control in the fourth, plating three runs behind two RBI doubles and a sacrifice fly to build a 7-4 lead. That margin held, as the Prairie Stars were held scoreless over the remaining innings.

Ben Benoit (6-2) pitched the first 3 1/3 innings and took the loss. Zane Danielson was effective in relief, striking out six over 4 2/3 innings while allowing just two hits. Griffitts led UIS with two hits and two runs scored, while Wendling drove in two runs.

In the second game, Illinois Springfield again struck early but could not keep pace with a big inning from Missouri S&T.

Wendling doubled in the first and scored on a Corey Boyette single to tie the game at 1-1. The Miners responded with a five-run second inning, using a mix of timely hitting, walks, and an error to take control at 6-1.

UIS cut into the deficit in the third when Wendling singled and scored on another Boyette hit, but Missouri S&T answered with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-2. The Miners extended the lead in the fifth on a three-run home run, stretching the margin to 10-2.

The Prairie Stars added two runs in the sixth, as Drew Ezard scored on a wild pitch and Parker Heistand came home on a groundout, but the Prairie Stars could not get closer in the 10-4 final.

Trey Carter (4-1) started and took the loss, allowing three earned runs over 1 2/3 innings. The UIS bullpen handled the remainder of the game, with Jacob McPherson closing the game by retiring five of the six batters he faced. Wendling and Boyette each had three hits to pace the offense, with Boyette driving in two runs.

Illinois Springfield is now 26-10 overall and 14-4 in conference play, while Missouri S&T improved to 23-10 and 16-2.

The series concludes Sunday with a noon first pitch in Rolla, Missouri.