FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bill Boppre, Sports Media Assistant
 
Game One Box Score
 
Game Two Box Score

Somers, Wis. (Apr. 26, 2015)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside softball squad dropped both games against Great Lakes Valley Conference rival Drury University on Senior Day at the Case Softball Complex, losing the opener 5-2 and then 4-1 in the nightcap.
 
The Panthers (25-25, 12-16 GLVC) opened up game one with a first inning homerun to left field by Carson Forge, her thirteenth homer of the season.  Drury tacked on an unearned run in the top of the second.  Carly Dundee opened the second for the Rangers (7-34, 2-24 GLVC) with a double to right field, and she scored off of a Megan Holderby single later in the inning.
 
Parkside trailed 5-1 in the sixth inning, when Kalli Gosser and Paige Harbord started off the bottom half of the inning with back-to-back singles.  The next batter, Courtney Ellingson hit a single to centerfield, but was thrown out trying to advance to second after Drury's failed attempt to stop Gosser from scoring on the play.  The Panthers closed out the Rangers after that, and won the game 5-2.  Jessica Kjeldgaard pitched the complete game win for Drury.  Carly Dundee started in the circle for Parkside giving up three earned runs in four innings.  Amber Ramos pitched three innings in relief and struck out five batters.
 
Before the game, the team honored senior Therese Jender.  The Rockford, IL native played 46 games for the Rangers over the past two seasons, making 29 starts.  Prior to UW-Parkside, Therese spent two years at Sauk Valley Community College in Illinois, helping the Skyhawks win the NJCAA Region IV Championship and place seventh at Nationals.  She intends to graduate in May with a degree in exercise science, and become a certified personal trainer and start competing in fitness model competitions.
 
Game number two saw Drury take an early again via the long ball.  Kari Hillenburg hit a three run homer to left field in the second inning off of Courtney Ellingson.  Courtney pitched five innings, and rung up seven strikeouts.  Parkside manufactured a run in the bottom of the sixth with a single up the middle from Madison Manders with two runners on base.  The Panthers got the run back after a solo home run from starting pitcher, Shelby Weissenbach, in the top of the seventh.  The Rangers went down in order in the final inning and lost the game 4-1.
 
The second game was also the Ranger Softball Purple Game.  The team wore special purple uniforms in honor of Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society.  Money was raised during the game by raffling off donations from around the area.
 
The Rangers will finish their season at home tomorrow against GLVC rival Missouri S&T.  Game one of the doubleheader is schedule for 11am at the Case Softball Complex.