ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis University's baseball team trailed 10-6 heading into its final at-bat against Illinois Springfield on Saturday afternoon but scored six times in the ninth highlighted by Michael O'Brien's (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) walk-off grand slam to rally for the 12-10 win at Brennan Field. The Flyers even their record at 5-5, 3-3 GLVC while the Prairie Stars fall to 8-2, 4-2 GLVC.

"What can you say about that game today," Lewis head baseball coach Tim McDonough said. "Our guys just never give up and always fight until the last out.

"It was such a great moment for OB and the team and obviously that was an unbelievable finish, but it really was a team effort," McDonough said. "UIS is really good and we hung tough and limited them just enough to give ourselves a chance in the ninth."

Lewis took the early lead scoring three times in the third as Anthony Rios (Lemont, Ill./St. Laurence) doubled down the right field line to drive in O'Brien and then on the next pitch Jackson Dvorak (New Lenox, Ill./Providence Catholic) hit a two-run homer to right center to make it 3-0.

The Prairie Stars scored three times on five hits in the fifth to tie the game highlighted by Kal Youngquist's two-run double to left. Chris Monroe followed with a single to drive in Youngquist.

UIS took the lead in the seventh on Nick Mayerhofer's two-run double down the right field line scoring Austin Alderman and Chris Mathieu.

The Flyers regained the lead in its half of the seventh scoring three runs on three hits and an error. Julian Everett (Frankfort, Ill/Lincoln Way East) drove in a run with an infield single and Kevin Barry (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) followed with a single to center with the bases loaded to score Rios and Dvorak.

The Prairie Stars scored three runs on four hits in the eighth to take an 8-6 lead and added two more in the ninth to head into the last of the ninth with the four-run lead.

Lewis loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth and got a run as Everett grounded out to first unassisted to drive in Rios to make it 10-7. Barry walked to reload the bases and then Max Warren (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) was hit by a pitch to drive in Dvorak to setup the stage for O'Brien. O'Brien hit the second pitch he saw into the trees in right center for his second home run in as many days.

The Flyers had 12 hits in the contest with Rios recording three while Dvorak, Everett and Dalton Crowder (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) had two hits apiece. Mike Stevens (Homer Glen, Ill./) pitched the ninth allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits with a strikeout for his first win of the season.

"I know the box score says we gave up 10 runs and 20 hits, but on a day like today at Brennan Field I thought our pitchers did a good job of throwing strikes and pitching through some errors and mental lapses," McDonough said.

Illinois Springfield led game two of the doubleheader 9-3 after five innings when the game was suspended due to darkness. The game will resume at noon on Sunday and will be followed by the final game of the four-game series.