SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – For the second day in a row, Missouri S&T's baseball team grabbed a first inning lead over 14^th-ranked Illinois Springfield – doing so in both games of Friday's doubleheader – but was unable to produce much offense after that and couldn't overcome the big innings posted by the Prairie Stars as UIS took the two Great Lakes Valley Conference contests by scores of 16-3 and 7-4.

The Miners (8-11, 4-7 GLVC) managed only nine hits in the two games and had just three in the nightcap as they couldn't overcome a five-run fourth inning that gave UIS (17-2, 13-2 GLVC) its third win in as many games in the series.

S&T opened the second game by scoring in the first without a single ball being put into play.  The first three in the lineup – Will Hayes (Terre Haute, IN/South Vigo), Doug Wood (Liberty, MO/Liberty North) and Michael Ward (Hazelwood, MO/Hazelwood West) – all drew walks to load the bases and Hayes crossed the plate when Garrett Weiner (Alton, IL/Marquette) walked with one out. 

That was the only run the Miners would get, then Cade Meier (Dakota, IL/Dakota) held UIS off the scoreboard for the first three innings as he struck out six and allowed just one hit in that span.  But in the fourth, the wheels fell off after Meier recorded his seventh strikeout for the second out of the inning.

The Prairie Stars got a two-run double by Asher Bradd following a hit and walk to take the lead, then two more singles and a double by Anthony DeConcilis brought home three more runs to give UIS a 5-1 lead at the end of four innings.  The Prairie Stars added two more runs in the fifth before the Miners made a comeback effort in the seventh.

With two outs, Weiner singled home Hayes, who was hit by a pitch to start the inning.  Another hit batter would load the bases, then walks to Logan Alexander (Olathe, KS/Olathe Northwest) and Braden Mahurin (Dixon, MO/Dixon) forced in runs before UIS reliever Mason Coon got the final out to end the contest.

UIS had 11 hits in the game as S&T's only hits came off the bats of Weiner, Mahurin and Andrew Branson (St. James, MO/St. James).

In the opener, the Miners took the lead in the first inning for the second game in a row when Ward belted his fourth home run of the season off the reigning GLVC Pitcher of the Week, Colton Hale.  That lead held up until the second, when the Prairie Stars plated four runs to take the lead.

UIS got four straight hits after the first hitter was retired in the second and took the lead on Bradd's two-run double.  The Prairie Stars proceeded to score five runs in the third on a three-run homer by Chris Mathieu and a two-run shot by Nick Mayerhofer, then produced multiple-run innings in each of the final three frames.

S&T did push across a pair of runs in the seventh, as Alexander and Weiner had RBI singles in the inning.

The Prairie Stars outhit the Miners 18-6 in the opener; Branson had two of the Miners' four hits.  Starting pitcher Rian Markes (Columbia, MO/Father Tolton) took the loss for S&T.

The Miners and Prairie Stars wrap up their weekend series with a single game Saturday that will begin at 1 p.m.