Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

Chatham, Ill.- The UW-Parkside Baseball team is off to a 2-0 start in GLVC play after a doubleheader sweep of the Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars on Sunday. The Rangers won the opener 14-2 before an 11-6 victory in game two. The games were originally scheduled to be played in Kenosha therefore Parkside played as the home team.

"We obviously hit the ball real well today," said Head Coach Joel Weaver. "We were seeing it well and having great at-bats. We've had some tremendous practices (of late) and it was great to see that carry over today."

Parkside never trailed in game one as Gentry VanAllen set the Prairie Stars down in order before the offense got going. John Brennan led off with a double, moved to third on a pop out by Mike Anderson, and scored on a Corey Stonelake sac fly.

"That first inning was the key today," said Weaver. "Anderson had a great at-bat to move (Brennan) over. The fact that we were able to score by manufacturing that run just set the tone for the entire day."

Dave Lojeski kept the inning going with his first of three doubles and scored two batters later on a Kirk Haviland single.

Parkside put the game away two innings later scoring nine in the third. Lojeski and Haviland each had two doubles in the inning. Stonelake homered and Taylor Schwartz also scored twice as the Rangers sent 14 men to the plate.

They would add three more in the fifth with Lojeski in the middle of things again as he punctuated his big day with a three-run home run. Lojeski went 4-for-4 with four extra base hits, four runs scored, and three RBI. Haviland had three hits and three RBI while Anderson added two hits, two runs, and two RBI.

"Today was Dave's coming out party," said Weaver. "He just hit it hard all day. And Kirk's been clutch for us all year. He comes up with guys on-base and just keeps producing."

VanAllen allowed a couple of late runs but went the distance for his first win. His final line included just two earned runs on six hits.

"He bailed himself out a couple times," added Weaver. "But it was huge for him, in the first game of four-game weekend, to throw a complete game and really set us up for the rest of the weekend."

Game two started a little shakier for the Rangers as Springfield jumped out with three first inning runs.
The offense though got things rolling again in the second as they scored a total of 11 runs over the next four innings.

Lojeski got Parkside on the board with another home run to start the inning. The next two men reached in front of a Ben Korman sacrifice. An RBI-groundout and throwing error followed and the Rangers had the lead.

Illinois-Springfield tied it with a run in the third before Parkside's offense broke through to grab a lead it would never relinquish. Lojeski drove in a run on a fielder's choice and Schwarz doubled to make it 5-3. VanAllen followed with a two-run homer to stretch the lead and put the Rangers in control. Four runs over the next two innings padded the lead and helped Parkside to a 2-0 start in conference play for the first time since 2004.

"This just gives us reassurance of what we're capable of," said Weaver. "This is the time we need to play well (with the start of conference play). We're excited to get back onto the field."

The Rangers return to action Monday for another GLVC doubleheader, this time at Quincy Unversity. Jack Olson is scheduled to start game one for the Rangers at noon.