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

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

SOMERS, Wis. (Apr. 3, 2015)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside softball squad earned a doubleheader split on Friday afternoon against Great Lakes Valley Conference rival University of Illinois Springfield, falling 5-3 in the opener before pulling out the 7-1 win in the nightcap at the Case Complex.

The Rangers (6-23, 1-13 GLVC) outhit the visiting Prairie Stars (22-11, 9-7 GLVC) 10-8 in the opener but yielded four unearned runs in the 8-5 setback.

Illinois Springfield's first three runs were all unearned, plating a score on a throwing error in the first while adding two more in the second inning. UW-Parkside got on the board in the bottom of the second with an Emily Bell single up the middle scoring Samantha Wells who reached base on a double to center field. UIS upped its advantage to 5-1 in the fifth with Rachel Goff blasting a two-run home run with two outs.

The Rangers responded in the bottom of the fifth with Carly Dundee hitting a double to right center field, plating both Courtney Ellingson and Kalli Gosser. Illinois Springfield pushed across an unearned run in the sixth inning before pushing across two runs in the seventh, extending its advantage to 8-3.

In the bottom of the seventh, Gosser collected a base hit before scoring on a two-out home run by Ellingson. Dundee reached base on a walk and the Rangers had the tying run on the on-deck circle before the Prairie Stars snuffed out the rally by catching a ball in foul territory to end the contest.

Gosser, Ellingson, Dundee, and Bell all finished with multiple hits while Ellingson and Dundee both drove in a pair of runs for Parkside.

Dundee suffered the loss inside the circle, tossing all seven innings and striking out eight. UIS's Alexandria Smith earned the complete game win, fanning six batters and allowing five earned runs.

It was all Rangers in game two, piling on five runs in the first two innings to claim the side's first win of the GLVC season.

Ellingson got the Rangers on the board in the bottom of the first, hitting a double to left field to score Gosser who reached base on a single up the middle. Dundee belted a double the next at-bat, bringing Morgan Dastych, who reached base on an infield single, and Ellingson.

UW-Parkside tacked on two more scores in the second inning with Gosser driving in a run on a single up the middle while a Ellingson sacrifice fly plated Madison Manders for the 5-0 lead.

The Green and White continued to push across runs, scoring one in the fourth on a Prairie Star fielding miscue while a Gosser single up the middle in the fifth inning brought in pinch runner Emily Hastings for the 7-0 lead.

UIS broke up the shutout with a run in the sixth inning and looked to have another run in the seventh with a solo home run before an appeal by Ranger Head Coach Scott Wachholz nullified the run as UIS batted out of order. The miscue left UIS with just two outs to make a run and the Rangers retired the next two batters to notch the win.

Gosser had a monster game at the plate, finishing a perfect four-for-four while scoring two runs.

Ellingson claimed the complete game win, allowing no earned runs and striking out three while Illinois Springfield's Rachel Goff absorbed the loss, yielding five runs in 1 1/3 innings of work.

The Rangers return to the diamond tomorrow, closing our their homestand with a doubleheader against McKendree University. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m.