Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Needing to sweep a four-game series at Illinois Springfield, the Maryville baseball team did just that in a span of 17 hours to earn the eighth and final spot in the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament. After taking a doubleheader Sunday night that ran into Monday morning, the Saints posted 5-1 and 4-2 victories Monday to charge into the GLVC tourney for the first time since joining the league. The Saints earned the No. 8 seed for the GLVC Tournament and take on No. 1 seed Drury Thursday, May 9, at 2:30 p.m. at Bosse Field in Evansville, Ind.
 
The Saints struck for three runs in the top of the first for all the offense they would need. Mike Wilkinson started the outburst with a single and promptly stole second. Starting pitcher Eric Keling singled up the middle to put the Saints ahead 1-0. After Corey Gall singled to put runners on the corners, Colby White singled and a UIS fielding error allowed another run to come home for e 3-0 edge. The Prairie Stars scored their only run in the bottom of the third before the Saints tacked on additional runs when Kaleb DePew lifted a sac fly to bring in a run in the fourth, and he had an RBI fielder’s choice to drive in the final run. Keling went the distance and struck out five batters to notch the win for the Saints.
 
In the regular-season finale, UIS struck for a run in the bottom of the first, but the Saints roared back with two in the top of the third. Jared Green was hit by a pitch, and Nick Little reached on a bunt single. Depew singled to tie the game, and Wilkinson’s sac fly pushed the Saints ahead 2-1. Neither team was able to score again until Maryville took advantage of a Prairie Stars miscue to tally two unearned runs for a 4-1 lead. White and Miller had back-to-back RBI singles for a Saints cushion in the seventh inning. UIS (13-31 overall, 8-27 GLVC) scored one run in the bottom of the ninth, but Tyler Omlid finished out the complete game to pitch the Saints to the decisive victory.
 
Maryville finishes the regular season on a five-game winning streak and is 20-22 overall, 19-15 in the GLVC. The 19 league wins are the most for the Saints since joining the conference.