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The Illinois Springfield baseball team split its home-opening doubleheader against Northwood on Sunday, rallying for a thrilling 12-11 walk-off win in extra innings in the first game before falling 10-3 in the second. The Prairie Stars moved to 3-3 on the season, while Northwood picked up its first win to improve to 1-5.

GAME ONE | W, 12-11 in 10 innings
  • In a high-scoring affair, UIS battled back from multiple deficits to edge Northwood 12-11 in 10 innings. The Prairie Stars trailed 9-5 in the fifth before launching a late comeback, capped by an RBI double from Ethan Bowers in the 10th to secure the victory.
  • Northwood took an early lead with a three-run homer in the first and extended the margin to 6-2 after three innings. 
  • UIS responded with a power surge, as Ivan Dahlberg, Ty Hollandsworth, and Drew Ezard each homered in consecutive innings to chip away at the deficit. Hollandsworth's second blast of the game, a two-run shot in the ninth, tied the score at 11-11 and forced extra innings.
  • Mark Kattula singled in the 10th before pinch runner Nicholas Crowe scored on a Bowers double, giving UIS the walk-off win.
  • Northwood collected 16 hits, including two home runs, but UIS held the Timberwolves scoreless over the final three innings. Reliever Adam Wibbenmeyer earned the win with three dominant shutout frames.
    Key Performers:
  • Hollandsworth: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R
  • Dahlberg: 3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R
  • Clark: 3-for-6, 2B, 2 RBI
  • Blemler: 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
  • Wibbenmeyer (W, 1-0): 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
     
GAME TWO | L, 10-3 in 7 innings
  • The Prairie Stars couldn't replicate their late-game magic in the second contest, as defensive struggles and timely Northwood hits led to a 10-3 defeat in seven innings.
  • The Timberwolves took advantage of UIS errors to score three unearned runs in the second inning. They added two more in the fifth behind an RBI double and a groundout.
  • UIS got on the board in the fifth with an infield RBI single from Nick Melvin, followed by another two-run homer from Hollandsworth in the sixth to make it 6-3. 
  • Northwood pulled away with a four-run seventh, capitalizing on defensive miscues to put the game out of reach.
  • Northwood's Jake Ickes (1-1) limited UIS to one run over five innings while striking out six. UIS starter Ben Benoit fell to 0-2 with the loss.
    Key Performers:
  • Hollandsworth: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI
  • Melvin: 1-for-3, RBI, R
  • Paule: 1-for-3, R
  • Benoit (L, 0-2): 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 3 K

Up Next

UIS and Northwood will conclude the series with another doubleheader on Monday, beginning at 11:00 a.m.
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