Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 In a doubleheader it had to sweep, the Maryville baseball team came through with two wins at Illinois Springfield to stay in the hunt for a bid to the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament. The Saints took a 7-6 extra-innings game in the opener and pounded out a season-high 20 hits in an 11-3 win in game two. The teams will close the regular season Monday morning with two more games starting at approximately 8 a.m. With two victories, the Saints will earn a bid to the GLVC Tournament.
 
In game one, Corey Gall sprinted home on a passed ball in the top of the 12th inning for the game-winning run in a thriller. Gall began the winning sequence with a walk, and Tyler Omlid also worked a walk. UIS got two out but Nick Little loaded the bases with a single. Gall took advantage of a Prairie Stars miscue for the winner.
 
Kaleb Depew chose an opportune time to hit his first round tripper of the year. He cranked a two-run home run to stake the Saints to an early lead in the top of the first. The Prairie Stars threatened when they loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, but Maryville starter Brett Hancock induced an inning-ending double play as the Saints escaped. In the fourth, Colby White walked and took second on a ground out. He scored on a UIS fielding error as the Saints stretched their advantage to 3-0. The Prairie Stars got on the board in the bottom of the seventh, and UIS tied the game with two unearned runs in the eighth inning.
 
Kyle Kinyon singled and took second on a sac bunt by Jared Green. Sean Murphy came on as a pinch runner, and Nick Little, who had four hits in the game, singled to put runners on the corners. Depew came up to bat and singled back up the middle for a 4-3 Saints lead. After a Matt Burton walk, Mike Wilkinson singled in two more runs for a 6-3 lead. However, UIS loaded the bases and Andy Unes’ double cleared them and for a tie at 6-all and push the game into the 12th inning to set the stage for Gall’s late run. Matt Staback retired the last three USI batters to save the 7-6 win for Shane Herschelman.
 
The Prairie Stars scored two runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead in game two. The Saints got a run back in the top of the second when Bob Miller doubled and scored on Kinyon’s RBI single. UIS got that run back in the bottom of the second for a 3-1 advantage before the Saints roared ahead. In the top of the fifth, Depew tallied on a wild patch to start the outburst. White, Miller and Kinyon all drove in consecutive runs as the Saints stormed to a 5-3 cushion. In the next frame, White delivered another RBI single to push Maryville ahead 6-3. The Saints put the game away in the seventh with five insurance runs. Maryville amassed a season-high 20 hits in the game.
 
The Saints are now 18-22 overall, 17-15 in the GLVC. The Prairie Stars are 13-29 overall, 8-25 in the conference.