McClure
Terry Griffin
17
Winner Drury DRURY 13-9
12
Ill.-Springfield ILL.-SPR 15-7
Winner
Drury DRURY
13-9
17
Final
12
Ill.-Springfield ILL.-SPR
15-7
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Drury DRURY 4 0 1 5 0 0 1 0 0 6 17 17 3
Ill.-Springfield ILL.-SPR 1 4 0 1 1 3 0 0 1 1 12 8 1

W: Thomas, Kaleb (3-1) L: Kyle Tyler (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Eric Doennig, Associate AD - Media Relations

Panthers Outlast UIS to Take Series Opener in 10 Innings

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Drury baseball mounted a six-run rally in the 10th inning to pull out a 17-12 victory over No. 25 Illinois Springfield Friday afternoon in the opening contest of the two clubs' Great Lakes Valley Conference series at UIS Baseball Field.

Moments after the Prairie Stars tied the game at 11-11 on a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth, the Panthers (13-9, 4-1 GLVC) erupted for six runs in the top of the 10th to seal their third victory over a top 25 foe this season. Jackson Edwards' two-run single put Drury on top to stay, before Landon Willbrand brought in a run with a base hit through the left side and Colin McClure belted his first home run as a Panther -- a three-run shot that handed DU a 17-11 advantage.

Illinois Springfield (15-7, 4-1 GLVC) threatened in the home half of the 10th, as Noah Caceres singled home Kody Morton to slice the margin to five runs. But DU reliever Kaleb Thomas (3-1) put the finishing touches on the victory with a game-ending strikeout to cap a 6 2/3 inning effort.

Greydon Miller paced Drury's 17-hit attack with a 3-for-5 afternoon, doubling twice and driving in three runs. McClure delivered for the Panthers as well, tallying three hits and three RBIs on his back-breaking homer in the decisive 10th inning. Five additional Panthers added two-hit performances, including Connor Bain, who hit a two-run homer as part of a five-run fourth inning for Drury.

Thomas struck out eight Prairie Stars and scattered five hits over his career-long relief outing. The junior right-hander took over mound duties for DU starter Coleman Morrison with one out in the fourth inning and carried the Panthers to the finish line, handing UIS its first GLVC loss in the process.  

Drury's first extra-inning victory of the season followed a trio of comebacks by the Stars, who wiped out a 4-0 DU first-inning lead, as well as a 10-5 Panther lead and a one-run ninth-innning deficit. Kaden Griffitts played key roles in each of the first two rallies, clubbing a second-inning grand slam to give UIS a 5-4 lead, then driving a three-run shot over the wall in the sixth to pull the home club even at 10-10.

The Panthers, who matched a season high with their 17 runs scored, hit three home runs of their own, staring with Carter Wambach's two-run blast that capped a four-run first frame for DU. Miller opened the scoring with his two-run double, then added another RBI double in the third to tie the game at 5-5 following UIS's big rally in the second.

DU touched up UIS pitching for five runs on five hits to build a 10-5 lead in the fourth. Edwards and McClure helped spark the scoring opportunity with singles, before Jackson Crider brought in a run with a double, and Logan Reidelberger plated two more with a two-bagger to left. Bain put an exclamation point on the outburst with a two-run homer to right.

UIS responded by scoring five straight runs over a three-inning span, adding single tallies in the fourth and fifth, before Griffitts' three-run homer in the sixth evened the score.

Drury forged a one-run advantage on another Crider run-scoring hit in the seventh, and Thomas made the lead stand until Jesse Contreras' two-out single up the middle brought home the tying in the ninth.

Griffitts led UIS with his two home runs and seven RBIs, while Contreras finished 3-for-5 at the plate.

LOOKING AHEAD
Drury and UIS continue their four-game series with a Noon doubleheader Saturday at UIS Baseball Field.

For all the latest information on Drury baseball, visit DruryPanthers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Panthers on X and Instagram.

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