Battling freezing rain, tough competition, and a tight schedule, the University of Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars Softball team took to the diamond for four games across two days, earning a pair of hard-fought wins.

The weekend doubleheaders kicked off on Sunday, April 6, with the Prairie Stars hosting the Maryville Saints in chilly and wet conditions at the UIS Softball Complex. The weather didn’t slow UIS in the first game, as they secured a 3-0 shutout victory behind strong pitching and solid defense. However, the Saints bounced back in game two, handing UIS a 6-1 loss to even the series.

The action resumed the very next day, Monday, April 7, with UIS facing off against the McKendree Bearcats. Once again, the Prairie Stars started strong, blanking the Bearcats 3-0 in the first game. But fatigue may have set in during the second matchup, as McKendree surged to an 8-4 win, splitting the series and closing out the back-to-back contests.

Despite the mixed results, head coach Shannon Guthrie remains focused on effort and improvement.
“Our jobs out here are to compete every day,” Guthrie said. “We know the other team is going to work hard, so we’ve got to come out and work harder than they do.”

Guthrie praised the energy her squad brings to each game, emphasizing that while the competition is serious, the team never forgets to enjoy the game.
“We try bringing in a lot of energy and have a lot of fun,” she added.

A key component of that energy, Guthrie said, comes from the team’s pitchers.
“We work off of our pitchers. Our pitching staff is doing really well right now. When they can get our team fired up, everything kind of goes our way.”

Looking ahead, Guthrie said the team’s focus remains on taking each game as it comes and seizing every opportunity to grow stronger.

Fans can catch the Prairie Stars in action at their home field, located at the UIS Softball Complex northwest of campus. The schedule for upcoming games can be found at the UIS Athletics website.