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

Box Score

ELGIN, Ill. (Mar. 10, 2015)-- Unable to sustain an early lead, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside baseball team saw its return to the diamond spoiled by host Judson University, tumbling 6-5 in a non-conference ballgame at soggy Hoffer Field.

The Rangers (1-2) were firing on all cylinders in the first two innings despite having gone nearly a month without a game. Troy Bittenbender opened the contest with a base knock up the middle while Ryan Ruediger reached base on a bunt single. Both Bittendender and Ruediger later scored on a Judson passed ball, giving the Rangers the 2-0 lead.

UW-Parkside returned the favor in the bottom of the first, yielding a run on a passed ball. The Rangers upped its advantage to 4-1 in the second inning, collecting an RBI single from Bittenbender and an RBI double from Zach Cunningham.

A walk, a hit batter and consecutive singles led to a pair of runs for the Eagles (8-5) in the fifth while Judson tacked on two more runs in the seventh, utilizing two doubles and a triple to bring in the pair and take the 6-4 lead.

UW-Parkside manufactured a run in the top of the ninth with a Ruediger groundout scoring Bittenbender but a flyout the next at-bat stymied the rally, giving Judson the 6-5 win.

Bittenbender led the Rangers at the plate, scoring three runs and finishing three-for-five while Cunningham finished with a pair of doubles.

Joseph Plaud suffered the loss on the mound, tossing three innings in relief of Josh Serio and allowing four earned runs.

Chris Simon collected the win for Judson, handling the opening five innings and fanning six batters while allowing two earned runs. Andrew Bergmann notched the save, tossing the final inning and allowing just one run.

Parkside and Judson were originally slated to play two seven inning games before deciding to play just a single nine-inning affair.

The Rangers begin the Great Lakes Valley Conference slate on Saturday, facing Missouri University S&T in a doubleheader in Rolla, Missouri.