The UIS baseball team earned another series win at Southwest Baptist on Saturday, clinching a GLVC tournament berth with 10-2 and 9-4 wins. The Prairie Stars remain in the No. 2 spot in the GLVC standings.
GAME ONE | W, 10-2
- UIS came out strong in the first inning, scoring three runs from Mack Clark home run that also plated Noah Caceres and Ethan Bowers.
- The following innings saw little action until the fourth, when the Prairie Stars added three more runs through a series of walks, a hit-by-pitch, and a balk.
- The fifth inning saw UIS extend its lead with four more runs, two of which came from an error and two on a Mark Kattula double.
- SBU scored a pair of runs in the sixth and seventh innings on sacrifice flies, but it wasn't enough to mount a comeback.
- Mark Decicco earned the win, pitching five innings with one hit allowed and six strikeouts. Quinn Hoftender and Jake Uber pitched the final two innings, each allowing one run.
- Kattula, Kody Morton, and Dillon Smail each recorded two hits in the seven inning game.
- In the second game, the Prairie Stars dominated early, with a four-run second inning that included a bases-clearing double by Mark Kattula.
- After a quiet third and fourth, UIS continued to pile on runs in the sixth and ninth innings, reaching an 8-0 lead.
- In the ninth, another sac fly pushed the lead to 9-0 for the Stars.
- SBU's comeback attempt came in the final inning, as they capitalized on a bases-clearing triple and an RBI single, scoring four runs in total.
- Adam Lindsey, who pitched six innings with 10 strikeouts, earned the win, improving to 3-3.
- Johnny Wendling went 3-for-3 with a run and two walks, while Kattula finished with two hits and three RBI.
The Prairie Stars travel to regionally-ranked Davenport on Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. Central time for a midweek game. Their final regular season series is at McKendree from Thursday to Saturday.