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

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

LEBANON, Ill. (Apr. 5, 2015)-- Offense ruled the day for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Baseball team on Sunday afternoon, turning the tables on host McKendree University in a doubleheader sweep at Hypes Field. The Rangers edged the Bearcats 10-9 in the opener before rolling to a 13-6 victory in game two.

Despite an early lead, the Rangers (7-13, 6-11 GLVC) needed a late inning rally in the opener to secure the 10-9 victory. Troy Bittenbender began the game with a base knock and came home after Jake Kolasinski belted a home run, for the early 2-0 lead. McKendree (7-18, 6-11 GLVC) answered with a single run in the bottom of the first but UW-Parkside struck again in the second inning, plating five runs to seize a 7-1 lead.

Nick Sramek singled in the frame's first score before Zach Thompson cleared the bases with a three-RBI triple. Ryan Ruediger drove in the inning's fifth run, hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Thompson. A McKendree throwing error upped the Ranger edge to 8-1 in the top of the fourth before the Bearcats seized the lead with an eight-run explosion in the bottom of the fourth.

UW-Parkside was down to its final three outs in the top of the seventh with Thompson leading off the inning by drawing a walk. Thompson advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a Jake Kolasinski single, tying the game. UW-Parkside pushed across the go-ahead run after Darius Hampton blasted a two-out single to center field, bringing in Zach Cunningham.

Kolasinski paced the Rangers at the dish, finishing two-for-four with three RBIs.

John Dokolas netted the win for the Green and White, collecting two outs in the sixth inning in relief of southpaw Tyler Jandron while John Perez tallied the save, retiring the side in order in the seventh inning. McKendree's Nick Yung suffered the loss, pitching five innings of relief and allowing three runs.

In the nightcap, UW-Parkside struck early and often, pushing across three runs in the opening inning of play. Troy Bittenbender singled through the left side to start the game, later scoring on a Nick Janssen double to right field. Jake Kolasinski belted a home run the next at bat, clearing the center field fence to stake an early 3-0 edge.

Kolasinski upped the Ranger lead to 4-0 with another RBI single in the third inning before Ryan Hollander hit a three-run home run later in the frame, pushing the visitors lead to 7-0.

UW-Parkside's lead ballooned to 10-0 in the top of the fifth getting RBI singles from Ryan Ruediger, Hollander, and Patrick Cottrell.

More runs poured in for the Rangers in the sixth with Darius Hampton doubling in a pair of runs for the 12-0 lead. The Bearcats finally got on the board with a pair of runs in the sixth inning before tacking on one more in the seventh. Matt Skarzynski boosted the Rangers' buffer back up to double digits in the eighth inning, collecting an RBI single to score Kolasinski.

McKendree added three more scores in the bottom of the eighth but was unable to come any closer as Parkside cruised to the doubleheader sweep to level the four-game series.

Parkside grinded out 21 hits in the nightcap with Kolasinski and Hampton both finishing with four hits while five more Rangers had multiple hits.

Josh Serio tallied the win on the mound for UW-Parkside, tossing the first seven innings and striking out five before giving way to Nick Rana who handled the final two innings and fanned two batters. McKendree's Logan Zachry was hit with the loss, allowing 10 earned runs in just four innings of action as the Bearcats rotated in five pitchers during the nine inning affair.

The Rangers remain on the road next weekend, traveling to Evansville, Indiana, for a four-game set against defending national champion University of Southern Indiana.