Somers, Wis. – The UW-Parkside softball team absorbed a pair of heartbreaking defeats on Saturday afternoon at the Case Softball Complex. Kentucky Wesleyan scored a late run in each game to earn the sweep with victories of 3-2 and 9-8 in eight innings.
 
The Rangers will continue their long stretch at home with a Sunday doubleheader against Southern Indiana. The first pitch on Sunday is slated for 12:00 p.m.
 
Below are recaps of Saturday's games.
 
Game One (Box Score)
The Panthers got off to a quick start scoring a run in each of the first two innings against Kristin Kleinmeyer. She was able to limit the damage stranding three runners in those frames.
 
Parkside got things rolling in the fourth to tie the game. Colleen Cummings and Lauren Vitiello had back-to-back doubles to cut the lead in half. Diana Gordon then singled to move Vitiello to second.
 
Kirsten Luevano evened it up with a sacrifice fly to right to make it 2-2.
 
The Panthers reassumed the lead in the top of the fifth with a little bit of good fortune. They had three straight singles with a couple blooping into no-man's land to keep the rally going. Josalyn Ress drove one through the left side with the bases loaded to give KWC the lead.
 
Parkside had a chance to tie it in the sixth but couldn't push the run across. Vitiello singled, Gordon on an error, and Luevano singled to load the bases. But Ashlee Windstead came back to retire the next three hitters to preserve the lead.
 
The Rangers put together a two-out rally in the seventh when Cummings drew a walk and Vitiello singled for her third hit off the game. But Gordon's liner was snared at short to end the game.
 
Vitiello led the way offensively going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Luevano was 1-for-2 with an RBI while Cummings went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
 
Game Two (Box Score)
Parkside came out swinging in game two with a huge first inning. The Rangers first six hitters scored to open get off to a great start.
 
Cecie Portillo and Cummings started the outburst with singles. Vitiello hit a ball back to the circle but the shortstop was called off the bag on the throw to load the bases.
 
Gordon hit a looper off the second baseman's glove that trickled into the outfield. Her attempt to get Vitiello at second was wild allowing all the runners to advance making it 2-0, Parkside.
 
Luevano then blasted a three-run home run to deep center field, her second off the season, to increase the lead to five.
 
They weren't done yet as Ashley Nowdomski singled and moved to third on a sacrifice and an error. Jessica Norton knocked in the final run of the inning with a sac fly.
 
The Panthers didn't stay down for long scoring four unearned runs in the second. They added two more on four hits in the fourth to tie the game at six.
 
Parkside went back in front in the third with three hits of their own. Kelynn Sporer singled and Norton doubled to put two on. Cummings drove in Sporer with an infield hit for a 7-6 advantage.
 
The lead grew to two in fourth with a two-out rally. Nowdomski singled and stole second to give Shank a chance to drive one in. She obliged with a double down the right field line to open an 8-6 lead.
 
Once again the Panthers came back, scoring two more unearned runs in the fifth. Both teams came up empty until the eighth when KWC got the big swing.
 
Angie Camp broke the deadlock with a home run to left center to give the Panthers a 9-8 lead. The Rangers put a runner on second in the eighth but couldn't tie it back up.
 
The Rangers finished the game with 13 hits having four players with two hits.