Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
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Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Mar. 16, 2013)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside opened up its Great Lakes Valley Conference slate on Saturday afternoon, dropping a pair of contests to University of Illinois Springfield at the Land of Lincoln Softball Complex. The Rangers fell 4-2 in the opener before succumbing 10-6 in a marathon 10-inning contest.

Illinois Springfield (9-8, 5-1 GLVC) struck first in the opener, plating a pair of runs in the top of the first inning off a pair of singles. The Rangers (3-9, 0-2 GLVC) cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second with a Lani Grogan double playing Jessica Loy who reached base on a fielder's choice.

Back to back walks to begin the fifth came back to haunt the Rangers with both runners scoring later in the frame, giving the Prairie Stars a three-run buffer.

Colleen Cummings led off the bottom of the seventh with a double before scoring the next at-bat as Ashley Nowdomski belted a double of her own but a pair of fly outs and a groundout cut the Ranger rally short in game one.

Nowdomski collected two of the Rangers' six hits, finishing two-for-four with an RBI.

Hayley Schneider absorbed the loss in the circle, yielding four earned runs in five innings of work, striking out three.

UIS's Brittany Sitton earned the win, allowing two earned runs in the complete game effort.

A five run explosion in the 10th inning by host UIS derailed the Rangers in the marathon contest to close out the twinbill.

UIS opened the scoring with three runs in the third inning, including two coming in off a Chelsea Minor double. A Cummings double in the bottom of the frame scored Kira Cooper who opened the inning with a single as UWP closed the gap to two runs.

Illinois Springfield's Samantha Riss belted a solo home run in the fourth while the Prairie Stars tacked on a single run in the sixth, extending their edge to 5-1.

UWP's offense came alive in the bottom of the sixth, pounding out four hits and scoring four runs to tie the contest. Katie Neubauer led off the frame with a single before advancing to second on an illegal pitch. a Lexi Sotiros single brought in Neubauer while Kelynn Sporer cleared the bases with a three-run home run to knot the score.

Neither squad was able to break the deadlock until UIS exploded for five runs in the top of the 10th. The Prairie Stars pounded out four hits and capitalized on two Ranger errors to score five, including three off a Riss double with one out.

The Rangers scratched across a run in the 10th but was unable to do any more damage, ultimately stumbling 10-6.
Sotiros led the Ranger offense, finishing three-for-four with an RBI while scoring a pair of runs.

Kristin Kleinmeyer was saddled with the loss, pitching nine and 1/3 innings, allowing seven earned runs while fanning five batters. Tina Buck earned the win for UIS, tossing the final 4 1/3 innings and allowing just one run.

The Rangers return to the diamond on Sunday, facing Quincy University at noon in Springfield, Ill.