INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy baseball team (12-10, 8-4 GLVC) managed a split Monday against visiting Illinois Springfield, taking the four-game series versus the Prairie Stars three games to one.  The Greyhounds earned an 8-6 comeback win in the opener before falling 11-6 in game two.
 
GAME ONE: UIndy 8, UIS 6 (7 inn.)
Despite being out-hit 13 to 6, UIndy won Monday's opener 8-6 by capitalizing on six walks and three UIS errors, scoring six unanswered runs.
 
Illinois Springfield wasted little time getting on the board, scoring one run on three hits against Greyhound starter Josh Witt in the top of the first.
 
UIndy also was quick with its response, scoring once in the bottom from a fielder's choice RBI by Brady Thomas that brought in Colin Hawk on a close play at the plate.
 
Witt held the visitors scoreless until the fourth, when UIS plated two more to take a 3-1 lead. In the bottom of the frame, Thomas was able to cross on a wild pitch from UIS starter Max Biedrzyski to pull within 3-2.
 
UIS followed with a three-run fifth inning, the big hit being a two-RBI double from shortstop Kyle Hunsinger, making it 6-2.
 
Facing an uphill battle, the Greyhounds hung six runs in the final two innings to come from behind and steal the series. Trevor Forde led off the inning with a walk, and came around later to score on an errant pick-off attempt from Biedrzyski. With two on and two out, Thomas his a RBI-single back up the middle to make it 6-4.
 
Zach Jacobs and Daniel Lee then contributed RBIs before the Prairie Stars went to the bullpen.
 
Facing reliever Jose Marin, the Hounds scored two decisive runs – both unearned – in the sixth. Ritchie scored on a throwing error by the second baseman, and Asalon scored on a Sean McCracken single.
 
Biedrzyski kept the Hounds' bats quiet for much of the game, and of the six runs allowed on his watch only two were earned.
 
Brett Collins (2-1) earned the win for UIndy, tossing two innings while giving up three hits and no runs. Witt finished with 4.1 innings pitched, allowing five runs on 10 hits.
 
Thomas went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, and Sean McCracken was 2-for-4 with one RBI.
 
GAME TWO: UIS 11, UIndy 6 (9 inn.)
UIS scored two runs on a hit and an error in the top of the first, grabbing an early 2-0 edge. After UIndy scored once in the bottom of the first, the Prairie Stars regained the lead by scoring four across the next two frames.
 
Back-to-back homers in the third from UIS' Alex Bradley and John Schram against UIndy starter Adam Cornwell gave the visitors a 6-1 lead.
 
UIndy finally started making some noise in the fifth inning to chip away at the Prairie Stars' lead. Bryce Aldridge scored the first run of the frame on an error by the third baseman. Later, with the bases loaded and nobody out, Thomas roped a double into right field on a 0-2 count, bringing in two to make it 6-4. McCracken's sacrifice fly on the following at-bat made it 6-5 through five complete.
 
Greyhound freshman Dylan Stutsman allowed just one hit in his first three innings of relief duty, but was tagged for a pair of runs in the seventh that gave UIS an 8-5 lead. After UIndy went to the pen for Jake Sprinkle, the Stars added three more to grab a commanding 11-5 lead.
 
After a quiet eighth inning, the Hounds started the ninth with a single and a double from Asalon and Thomas, respectively.  Asalon later scored on a Stars fielding error, but it would mark the final Greyhound run.
 
UIndy has a quick turnaround before resuming GLVC action. The Greyhounds welcome in-state rival Saint Joseph's for a twin bill Wednesday starting at 12 p.m.