FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

SOMERS, Wis. (Mar. 26, 2014)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside softball team continues its season-opening road swing this weekend, traveling to the Hoosier State to face Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division rivals Saint Joseph's College and the University of Indianapolis.

The Rangers open the weekend against in Rensselaer against the Pumas on Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. The trip concludes on Sunday, squaring off against UIndy in a twinbill beginning at noon (Eastern Time).

About the Rangers: UW-Parkside (1-11, 1-7 GLVC) tallied its first win of the season last weekend, beginning East Division play with a split against host McKendree University. Parkside outlasted the hosts 7-6 in the opener on Mar. 22, getting a two-run home run from Kirsten Luevano in the sixth inning to give the Rangers the lead for good. Luevano drove in four of the squad's seven runs in the game while Kira Cooper was three-for-five at the plate.

McKendree avenged the loss in game two, squeaking past the visiting Rangers with a 2-1 win. UW-Parkside led 1-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh but a two-out single tied the game before Kelsie Stoszkus belted in the winning run with a walkoff single.

On Sunday the Rangers collected 22 hits and scored 15 runs but it was not enough, dropping both ends of their doubleheader against host University of Illinois Springfield. The Rangers fell victim to another walkoff hit in game one, stumbling 7-6 before suffering a 13-9 setback in game two after the Prairie Stars scored the final five runs of the game.

Cooper finished the weekend hitting .625 at the plate for the Rangers. The senior outfielder was 10-for-16 over the weekend, finishing with at least two hits in every game while scoring four runs. She additionally leads the team on the season in batting average, boating a .474 average through the first 12 games.

Luevano is hitting .370 with a team-high three home runs and 13 RBIs while Kalli Gosser sports a .359 average with four doubles while Alexis Simone is hitting .333.

Carly Dundee has logged over half the team's innings inside the circle, owning a 5.08 earned run average in 41 1/3 innings of work with a team-best 15 strikeouts. The freshman righthander has appeared in eight of the squad's 12 games this season and has tossed three complete games. Hayley Schneider has a 6.22 ERA while Kristin Kleinmeyer has 10 strikeouts in 2014.

About the Pumas: Saint Joseph's (8-12, 5-5 GLVC) opens up its home schedule this weekend, the first of three straight home doubleheaders at SJC Field. The Pumas wrapped up last weekend with a 1-3 mark, getting swept 5-2 and 2-1 by Bellarmine University on Saturday before earning a split on Sunday against the University of Southern Indiana. The Screaming Eagles edged St. Joe's 4-3 in the opener before the Pumas returned to the win column, closing the weekend with a 1-0 victory.

Audra Rains blasted a double to left field in the top of the fifth on Sunday to score Briane Wagner for what turned out to be the lone score of the game.

SJC has four players hitting above .300 on the season with Kalene Davis leading the way with a .397 batting average with eight extra base hits. Kylie Weeks is batting .375 with 11 RBIs while Briana Wagner and Tiffany Gibson are hitting .324 and .303, respectively. Gibson additionally paces the team with 15 RBIs.

Jessica Cates and Megan Schwartzengraber have handled a majority of the pitching duties. Cates leads the team with a 2.13 earned run average and a 4-2 record with 25 strikeouts in 46 innings of work. Schwartzengraber has logged a team-high 62 1/3 innings in the circle with 19 strikeouts and three complete games.

About the Greyhounds: Indianapolis (13-7, 6-2 GLVC) hosts Lewis University on Saturday for the squad's home opener at Baumgartner Field before taking on the Rangers the following day. The Hounds have won eight of their last 10 games, winning three of four last weekend on the road.

UIndy swept Southern Indiana 1-0 and 3-2 before splitting with Bellarmine on Sunday. The Hounds toppled the Knights 5-2 to begin the day before suffering a 6-1 setback in the nightcap.

Casey Williamson is UIndy's leader at the plate, hitting .486 on the season with six extra base hits and eight RBIs. Sydney Russell owns a .345 batting average while Alexa Alfaro has a team-high 13 RBIs.

In the circle, Morgan Foley leads the Hounds in wins (nine), earned run average (1.66), innings pitched (81 1/3), shutouts (4), strikeouts (138) and complete games (8). Morgan Lewis owns a 3.26 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 47 innings of action.

Turn Up The Pink: Turn up the Pink is the Rangers' sixth annual pink game to support breast cancer research. The event will be on Sunday, April 6 against the University of Southern Indiana. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. at the Case Complex. All proceeds of the event go to the Susan G. Komen fund. Last season the team raised about $2,000 for the fund from selling t-shirts, raffle tickets and donations.