Box Score

Evansville, Ind.- The UW-Parkside baseball team saw St. Cloud State break a 1-1 tie on a failed pickoff attempt in the 8th and was unable to recover falling to the Huskies 3-1 on the campus of Southern Indiana University. The loss pushes the Rangers to 0-5 while St. Cloud State improves to 6-1 on the young season.

Parkside starter Jack Olson allowed a baserunner in each inning  through six but allowed just one runner to reach third base. The box score is not a good indication of how well Olson threw.

"Jack did a tremendous job giving us a chance to win on the mound," said Head Coach Joel Weaver. "He never let things get out of control. Like I've been talking about with the guys, you're never going to completely get away from walks or get away from hits ... but you can always minimize damage. He just had them off balance all day."

St. Cloud grabbed the game's first run when they loaded the bases in the seventh with nobody out. Olson was able to limit the damage allowing just a sacrifice fly. The Rangers recorded the final out at the plate on a double steal attempt.

"It was a first and third play that we just executed extremely well," said Weaver. "It was a big situation to get ourselves out of."

Parkside got on the board in the 7th to even the score on a two-out single by Kirk Haviland.

The Huskies would take the lead for good in the eighth when Adam Becht, who relieved Olson in the middle of the frame, made an errant throw on a pickoff allowing St. Cloud's second run to score. They would add an insurance run in the ninth to provide the final margin.

"It was kind of a botched play on both ends," said Weaver of the error. "It was one of those fluke things that happens."

Olson was the tough-luck loser for the Rangers going 7 2/3 innings allowing just two runs (one earned) on six hits. He did walk five but helped contribute to 10 runners left on base for St. Cloud.

The Ranger bats were relatively quiet recording just five hits to go with a couple of walks. They were unable to put a runner on in the final two innings to stage a comeback.

"(The final innings) were just a failure on our part to see things as a whole," said Weaver. "We need to work as a unit and see the big picture. Understand that you just need to get on base ... that they're not up there alone. I give (St. Cloud) credit, they pitched well."

St. Cloud, who was a game away from the World Series last year is expected to compete for another regional championship this year.

"I'm frustrated," added Weaver. "It was definitely opportunity lost. But I have faith in this group and I'm hoping this pitching performance can take some pressure off our offense and gets us going."

The baseball team will return to Evansville next weekend for four more scheduled games beginning with St. Cloud again on Saturday.