SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Lincoln baseball team battled to make it a one-run game entering the sixth inning, but Illinois-Springfield ended up holding off the Blue Tigers to hand LU an 11-5 loss on Tuesday (May 3).

After a scoreless first inning, the Prairie Stars struck first with three runs in the bottom of the second. The Blue Tigers got on board for the first time in the third, Laban Petzoldt scored Jameson Mahan on a base hit.

The Lincoln defense kept Illinois-Springfield off the board in the bottom half of that frame, and singles by Mason Price and Kaleb Davis helped LU load the bases in the top of the fourth. A strikeout ended the inning, however, and UIS took advantage by plating two more runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Dillon Walker led Lincoln (1-46) off with a hit in the top of the fifth, and consecutive Prairie Star errors allowed him to score. A sacrifice fly by Price later scored Petzoldt, and Mike Million, who got on board with a single, came in on a sacrifice fly by Davis. That pulled the Blue Tigers to within one, making it 5-4 ballgame.

Illinois-Springfield (26-19) ended the rally with a six-run sixth inning, and held the Blue Tigers to just one unearned run afterwards, as Price scored on a single by Alex Ludwick. UIS finished with a 9-7 edge in total hits, and the two teams combined for 10 errors on the afternoon.

Dillon Walker led Lincoln with two hits while Jake Walker finished with a team-high four assists. Davis had six putouts, Million finished with five and Ludwick and Price each contributed four. Daniel Castillo started on the mound for Lincoln and struck out three UIS batters. Cameron Massman closed the game, throwing 2.1 innings and allowing just one hit and no runs.

With the non-conference portion of its 2016 slate concluded, Lincoln will now turn its attention to its final MIAA series of the season. The Blue Tigers travel to St. Joseph, Mo. to play Missouri Western in games on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (May 5-7), with the action on each day beginning at 7:00 p.m. CDT.