Somers, Wis.- The UW-Parkside baseball team wrapped up its 2012 home schedule by splitting a doubleheader with 18
th-ranked Northern Kentucky University. The Rangers used a late rally to take game one, 4-3. The Norse came back in the finale for a 7-2 win.
With the program celebrating its Senior Day, a couple of them factored in heavily in the win.
John Brennan tied the game with a single in the bottom of the sixth and
Corey Stonelake's squeeze bunt brought home the eventual winner.
Andy Stochl did his part on the mound as he two-hit the nationally-ranked Norse in game one. He didn't allow a hit after the second inning and retired 17 of the last 19 hitters he faced.
Parkside is now 18-27 overall and 11-21 in GLVC play. The Norse are 30-16 overall and 23-9 in the league. The Rangers will conclude the 2012 season with a four-game set at Bellarmine next weekend.
Sunday marked the final home games for eight UW-Parkside seniors. Along with Brennan and Stonelake,
Mike Anderson,
Tyler Gieseking,
Cody Gilles,
Kirk Haviland,
Mike Nicks, and
Ryan Windt suited up for the final time at Oberbruner Field.
Below are recaps of Sunday's games against the Norse.
Game One (
Box Score)
The Norse looked to run away early in the opener scoring two in the first inning on an RBI-double and sacrifice fly. They added an unearned run against
Andy Stochl in the second to open up a three-run cushion.
From there however, Stochl settled in and the Ranger bats started to chip away. They answered with two runs in the second to get right back in it. Anderson started things with a one out bunt single in front of a walk to
Eric Abel.
Kirk Haviland then hit a potential double play ball to third that was bobbled to load the bases.
Tyler Gieseking made the Norse pay by lining a single to left to score two and make it 3-2
Stochl was locked in from there on out holding NKU hitless over the next four innings. That gave the Rangers time to mount their game-winning rally in the bottom of the sixth.
Haviland fought through a long at-bat before a sharp single through the left side. That brought Brett Loeding, the Norse's top pitcher, back to the hill for the third straight game in the series.
Loeding retired the first hitter he faced but then hit pinch hitter
Taylor Nehls to put two on. With Brennan at the plate, Loeding uncorked a wild pitch, moving both runners into scoring position.
Brennan took advantage of the opportunity lining a base-hit back through the box, tying the game and moving the go-ahead run to third.
Next up was Stonelake. The senior laid down a perfect safety squeeze to give Nehls a chance to score from third. Loeding fielded and threw quickly to the plate but Nehls slid in well ahead of the tag and the Rangers had their first lead.
Stochl made it stand up, going through the Norse 1-2-3 in the seventh for his third win of the season. He allowed just two hits on the day while facing seven over the minimum. He yielded three runs (two earned) with three walks and a pair of strikeouts. It was his fifth complete game of the season.
Brennan led the offense going 2-for-4 with an RBI. The Rangers out-hit the Norse 8-2 in the contest.
Game Two (
Box Score)
NKU got on the board early in the nightcap scoring another first inning run for a 1-0 lead. They added three more in the fourth thanks in part to a Ranger error and a balk.
Parkside got one of those back in the bottom half to make it 4-1. Glynn was hit by a pitch and raced to third on a double by Gilles. Anderson followed with the RBI-sac fly to bring in Glynn.
An infield hit by Abel and walk to Haviland loaded the bases but Matt Jefferson was able to get out of the jam when a deep fly ball by Gieseking was caught just in front of the warning track.
The Norse answered back with an RBI-double in the fifth and scored a couple more in the sixth to take command.
The Rangers did add one in the ninth on an RBI-double by Stonelake to finish out the scoring.
Parkside had its opportunities in the game, leaving ten runners on base. Gilles had two of the team's nine hits.
