Evansville, Ind. – The UW-Parkside baseball team went 1-1 in its first day of action at the Dunn Hospitality Invite in Evansville. The Rangers won the first game on Saturday, 8-6 against Culver-Stockton College. They dropped game two to Great Lakes Valley Conference foe, Illinois Springfield, 6-4. The game against Springfield does not count in the conference standings.
 
The results put the Rangers at 5-5 in the early going. It's the fifth time the Rangers have split their two games on a given day. Parkside will wrap up its stay in Evansville with two more games on Sunday. They'll face Indiana Southeast at 11:00 a.m. before looking for payback against Illinois Springfield at 2:30 p.m.
 
Below are recaps of Saturday's games at the Dunn Hospitality Invite.
 
Game One (Box Score)
The Rangers offense got revved up in the opener with all nine players in the lineup reaching base safely at least twice. They pounded out 14 hits and three multi-run innings to earn the win.
 
After a scoreless first inning, business picked up in the second as the Rangers posted a crooked number. Mike Anderson started it with a one-out single and moved to third on a two-out hit by Kirk Haviland. Ben Korman broke the seal with an RBI-single to score Anderson and give Parkside the early lead.
 
John Brennan made it three straight singles, bringing Haviland in for a 2-0 advantage. Brennan promptly stole second base but the throw went into centerfield, allowing Korman to come around, and provide a three-run cushion.
 
Andy Stochl ran into some trouble in the bottom of the third as the Wildcats touched him up for three runs to tie the game. A walk and two hit batters set the table for a two-run single to finish the rally.
 
But the Rangers answered immediately with the same group that ignited the second inning surge. Haviland singled with two away and moved up when Korman worked a base on balls. Brennan delivered again with an RBI-single and Eric Abel tacked on another run as he doubled to score Korman.
 
The Wildcats got one back with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, cutting the Ranger lead to one. Haviland returned the favor with a sac fly of his own in the fifth, creating a 6-4 lead for Parkside.
 
Culver-Stockton pushed back in the bottom of the fifth scoring two more runs to tie the game once again. Two hits, a hit batsman, and an error helped them knot the score before Parkside responded with the eventual winning runs in the next frame.
 
Abel drew a one out walk and Corey Stonelake ripped a single to put two on. That's when Cody Gilles came through with the big swing, tripling to the wall to drive in both runs and make it 8-6.
 
From there Stochl settled in. He allowed just three base runners over the final four innings as he went all nine in picking up his second victory of the season. With two on and two out in the ninth he coaxed a grounder to Abel at third who stepped on the bag to end the game.
 
Haviland finished the day 3-for-3 with two runs scored to lead the offense. Brennan, Stonelake, Gilles, and Anderson all had two hits. Korman also had a hit and a walk while scoring twice.
 
Game Two (Box Score)
After the Prairie Stars scored a run in the top of the first, the Rangers answered quickly to steal the lead.
 
Brennan led off with a single and advanced to second on an error. Two batters later Stonelake brought him around with a hit to tie the game. After Stonelake stole second, Chris Glynn came up with an RBI to make it 2-1.
 
Springfield tied it with a run in the second against Ryan Windt before the Rangers got it back in the third. Gilles singled to start the inning, advanced to second on a hit-by-pitch, and then to third on a sacrifice bunt by Anderson. He scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball, making it 3-2, Parkside.
 
The Prairie Stars fought back, scoring three runs in the fifth to take the lead for good. The Rangers helped the cause committing two errors leading to two of the three runs being unearned.
 
Parkside pulled to within 5-4 on a Stonelake double in the fifth but that was all the offense they could muster. Springfield used three relievers over the final four innings, holding Parkside without a hit.
 
They added an insurance run in the seventh to create the final 6-4 margin.
 
Windt took the loss despite allowing just three earned runs in his nine-inning complete game. He struck out six and walked two in the process.
 
Stonelake led the offense with two hits, two RBI, and a run scored. The Rangers were limited to six hits in game two while committing five errors.