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

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

SOMERS, Wis. (Apr. 18, 2015)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside baseball squad settled for a doubleheader split on Saturday afternoon against Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division rival University of Illinois Springfield, opening the day with a 5-2 win before falling victim to a late surge in a 5-2 setback in the nightcap at Oberbruner Field.

The Rangers (10-19, 9-17 GLVC) got things started in the second inning of game one, pushing across a trio of runs. Patrick Cottrell singled to right field to plate both Bryan Wade and Ryan Ruediger while a Zach Thompson fielder's choice brought in Cottrell, giving UW-Parkside the 3-0 advantage.

The Prairie Stars (19-20, 13-13 GLVC) got on the board in the fourth inning, collecting their first two hits of the game and bringing in one run.

UW-Parkside upped its edge to 4-1 in the sixth inning with DJ Peltz coming home on a double play after leading off the frame with a single to center field.

UIS loaded the bases and brought in a run on a hit by pitch in the eighth inning before John Perez entered the game stymied the Prairie Star rally, inducing a lineout to end the inning.

A Wade infield single in the eighth scored Peltz, upping the home side's cushion to three runs to conclude the scoring.

Cottrell, Peltz, Wade, Troy Bittenbender, and Darius Hampton all finished with two hits to pace the Rangers at the plate.

Josh Serio collected the win on the mound, improving to 5-3 on the season after tossing the first 7 1/3 innings and striking out eight. Perez handled the final 1 1/3 innings, earning his fifth save of the season, allowing no hits and striking out one. Christopher Irwin was saddled with the loss for the Prairie Stars, allowing three earned runs in five innings of labor.

In game two, Illinois Springfield scored runs in each of the final three innings, earning the 5-2 victory to salvage a doubleheader split.

The Prairie Stars grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the third before the Rangers answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to seize the 2-1 lead. Bittenbender tied the game, scoring on a UIS fielding error while a Jake Kolasinski groundout brought in Zach Thompson to give the Rangers the lead.

Illinois Springfield reestablished its lead in the fifth inning, bringing in two runs while taking on insurance scores in the sixth and seventh innings to claim the 5-2 win.

Peltz finished a perfect two-for-two at the plate as the anemic Ranger offense finished the nightcap with just four hits.

Joseph Plaud suffered the loss for Parkside, pitching 1 1/3 innings of relief while UIS's Max Biedrzycki tallied the complete game win, striking out 11 and allowing just four hits.

The Rangers and Prairie Stars conclude the series on Sunday with a doubleheader getting underway at 10 a.m.