McKendree struck first with a solo home run in the opening inning and held a 1-0 lead after one. They added an unearned run in the top of the fourth on a single followed by an error. UIS got on the board in the fourth when Tyler Thompson reached on a fielder’s choice to bring in Kaden Griffitts.
The Prairie Stars broke through in the fifth. Griffitts launched a grand slam, scoring Tommy Atkinson, Noah Caceres, and Kody Morton to give UIS a 5-2 advantage. UIS added on in the seventh when Morton tripled and later scored on a Griffitts single, extending the lead to 6-3.
Corey Boyette provided another key insurance run with a solo home run in the eighth to make it 7-4. McKendree threatened in the ninth with a two-RBI single to cut the deficit to one, but UIS held on to secure the win.
Senior starter Ben Benoit delivered a strong outing, going 6 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts while allowing two earned runs on six hits to earn his seventh win of the season. Richie Snider added 1 1/3 innings in relief with three strikeouts, and Jaden Mathon closed the door with 1 1/3 innings and four strikeouts to record the save.
Griffitts led the offensive effort with three hits, including the grand slam, and five RBIs. Morton added a triple and scored twice in the win.
UIS closes the regular season at 33-17 overall and 21-11 in GLVC play. Next up, the Prairie Stars head to the GLVC Tournament, set for May 6-9 at Mountain Dew Park in Marion, Illinois.
