The Illinois Springfield baseball team opened the 2025 season with a series split against Tusculum. After falling 12-8 in the first game on Saturday, the Prairie Stars bounced back in the second with a strong offensive performance and steady bullpen work, securing a 14-5 victory.
Game One | L, 12-8
- UIS started slow, with the top of the lineup striking out in order to open the game. The Prairie Stars found some momentum in the second when Mack Clark doubled, followed by an RBI single from Ethan Bowers to bring Clark home. However, UIS left two runners stranded.
- Tusculum responded with a two-run inning on three hits, tying the game. The third and fourth innings were quiet, with both teams going three up, three down in the third. UIS left two more runners on base in the fourth before Ben Benoit worked a clean inning with a strikeout and two groundouts.
- The game broke open in the fifth when the Pioneers plated six runs on four hits and two UIS errors, taking a commanding 9-3 lead. Jack Winterbauer entered in relief of Benoit after the second run of the inning. Both teams added a run in the sixth, with UIS's coming off a solo home run by Drew Ezard.
- UIS roared back in the seventh, scoring five runs to cut the deficit to one. However, Tusculum answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning off Parker Bradford. A bases-loaded walk in the eighth extended the Pioneers' lead to 12-8, but UIS managed to escape further damage.
- Despite a late push, the Prairie Stars couldn't rally in the final innings. Mark Kattula led the offense, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Drew Ezard finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs. Benoit (0-1) took the loss on the mound.
Game Two | W, 14-5
- UIS jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, stringing together four singles, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. However, Tusculum responded in the bottom half, capitalizing on a double, a single, a wild pitch from Anthony Ribes, and a fielding error at shortstop to even the score.
- The Prairie Stars continued their offensive momentum in the second, putting pressure on the Pioneers' defense and plating four runs. Tusculum answered with a four-hit inning of its own, tacking on two more runs while swiping two bases to cut the UIS lead to 6-4. Kannon Walker took over on the mound for Ribes and escaped the jam with a lineout.
- UIS turned to aggressive baserunning in the third but left two runners stranded. In the fourth, three walks and a wild pitch set up another scoring opportunity, and Drew Ezard came home on a passed ball, but again, the Prairie Stars left two on base.
- Seth Masters took the mound and allowed a double, which turned into a run after a groundout and an RBI single. However, he ended the inning with a strikeout to limit the damage. In the fifth, Chris Suchoski doubled and was brought home on a single from Jackson Blemler to extend the UIS lead.
- Jake Uber entered to pitch in the bottom of the fifth inning but ran into trouble, loading the bases. However, UIS managed to turn a crucial double play to escape the jam. Austin Loberger took over on the mound in the sixth, working to hold off Tusculum's offense, while Clayton Johnson closed out the seventh, with both pitchers finishing unscathed, aided by solid defensive plays.
- Ty Hollandsworth extended a strong weekend, going 4-5 with an RBI. Jackson Blemler and Ethan Bowers both contributed three hits apiece, with Bowers also adding two walks and two RBI. Mack Clark was 2-4 with two RBI. Kannon Walker was the winning pitcher, entering in the second inning and going 1.1 innings while UIS nabbed the lead.
The Prairie Stars now turn their attention to the MSSU Lion Classic in Joplin, Mo., on Feb. 14-16 where they will face Drury, Minnesota State-Mankato, and Truman State.