SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Lincoln baseball team scored 14 runs, but the Blue Tigers dropped both games of a double-header to Illinois-Springfield on Friday afternoon (March 28).

The Blue Tigers led the first game through two innings, as Jayden Little singled in the top of the first and came home on a base hit by Ty Ollison. In the top of the third, LU made it a 2-0 game when Miguel Padron hit a solo home run. Illinois-Springfield came back in the bottom of the third, driving in eight runs on five hits to take control of the contest. 

Ryan Lepper led off the fourth inning with a hit and later scored on an outfield single by Little. Chase Morris, who got on board with a hit into right field, and Little both returned to the plate on a hit by Ollison, pulling LU to within 8-5. UIS later scored 10 runs in the fifth inning, however, and held on for the win. LU's other three scores all came in the sixth, as Little reached on a double and later scored on an error. Padron and Ollison followed by each hitting a solo home run.

Ollison went 4-for-4 at the plate with four RBI while Padron and Little each finished with three hits. Easton Stuckenschneider and Felix Marquez also had hits, and Canon Feist struck out for Prairie Star batters while Mac Biggs fanned one. Ollison led LU with five putouts, Little contributed four and Padron was next with three. Lepper and Morris each were responsible for an assist.

In the second game, Illinois-Springfield took a commanding 9-0 lead at the end of the first inning. The Blue Tigers had a big fifth inning though, beginning with Lepper scoring on a double by Andy Sreboski IV. A base hit by Padron and an error by UIS allowed Sreboski to score, and Padron reached the plate on a single from Ollison. Another error later allowed Ollison to score, giving the Blue Tigers four runs in the frame.

A seventh inning two run homer by Stuckenschneider that also plated Padron closed the scoring for the Blue Tigers. Ollison and Stuckenschneider each had two hits while Padron, Little, Sreboski, Morris, Lepper and Brody Johns added one hit apiece. Jacob Zahner notched two strikeouts on the mound and Biggs provided five putouts while Johns finished with four. Little led LU with three assists, Sreboski turned two and Morris added one.

The Blue Tigers remain in Springfield to play two more games against the Prairie Stars on Saturday (March 29), with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CDT.