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

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. (Apr. 1, 2015)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside baseball squad settled for a doubleheader split on Wednesday afternoon against Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division nemesis Lewis University at Brennan Field. The Rangers jumped to an early lead and held on for the 5-3 win in the opener but wasn't so fortunate in the nightcap, twice seeing a lead evaporate in a 6-5 setback.

In the opener, UW-Parkside (6-11, 5-9 GLVC) collected all five of its runs in the first four innings, cruising to the 5-3 win.

Jake Kolasinski got things started in the first inning, scoring Troy Bittenbender on a two-out single through the left side. The host Flyers (9-13, 5-9 GLVC) tied the game with a solo home run in the second inning but the Rangers piled on a pair of scores in top of the third to reestablish the lead.

Darius Hampton hit a single up the middle in the third, plating a pair of runs while Zach Cunningham drove in a pair of scores the following inning on a double to right center field, giving Parkside the 5-1 advantage.

Lewis tallied another solo home run in the seventh and pushed across a run in the eighth to close the gap to just two but was unable to come any closer as Parkside emerged with the 5-3 win.

Kolasinski, Nick Janssen, and Ryan Ruediger all finished with two hits as the Rangers pounded out 11 hits in the opening game.

Josh Serio tallied the win on the mound, fanning nine batters in 7 1/3 innings while John Perez notched his second save of the season, yielding no hits and issuing just two walks over the final 1 2/3 innings. Dalton Hottle suffered the loss for the Flyers, getting relieved after 6 2/3 innings of work, allowing five runs and striking out five.

UW-Parkside pushed across single runs in the opening two frames of game two and staked a 3-1 advantage after 5 1/2 innings of play.

Bittenbender led off the game with a base hit, advancing to second on a wild pitch, claiming third on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a Ruediger groundout.

The Ranger lead double in the second inning with DJ Peltz scoring on a wild pitch after leading off the inning with an outfield single.

Lewis broke up the shutout with a single run in the bottom of the fourth but a Kolasinski solo home run in the sixth inning gave the visitors the 3-1 buffer.

The Flyers belted four hits in the bottom of the sixth, scratching across three runs to seize the lead.

Down to its final two outs, UW-Parkside rallied with Bryan Wade reaching base on a single through the right side. A Zach Cunningham hit brought in Wade to tie the game before a wild pitch allowed Bittenbender to score the go-ahead run, giving Parkside the 5-4 edge.

Lewis tied the game in the bottom of the seventh off a sacrifice fly before Ethan Bloom hit a walkoff double up the middle to plate the winning run.

Joseph Plaud was hit with the loss, striking out six in the complete game effort while Sam Couch tallied the win, allowing two earned runs in one inning of relief work.

The Rangers return to the Chicagoland area tomorrow for a 1 p.m. non-conference game against Saint Xavier University.