WESTFIELD, Ind. -- Sophomore
Connor Cunningham pitched 6.1 shutout innings and
Kyohei Makita drove in the only run of the game with a fifth-inning single leading Wisconsin-Parkside to a 1-0 win over 10th-ranked Grand Valley State and a split of its non-conference doubleheader on Sunday at the Grand Park Complex.
Grand Valley State broke a 3-3 tie with four runs in the top of the seventh inning to win the opener 7-3 before the Rangers bounced back to post its first shutout of the season in game two.
Cunningham, who improved to 2-0 on the season, was outstanding in his 6.1 innings on the mound as he permitted just six hits and struck out three batters.
Keaton Kastberg retired the final two batters of the game to pick up his third save of the season.
Grand Valley State starter Mitch Ashcraft matched Cunningham until the fifth inning when the Rangers broke through for a run. With one out in the fifth,
Domenic Hammudeh was hit by a pitch to begin the rally.
Kyle Schulz grounded out to second, which allowed Hammudeh to advance to second base.
Troy Bittenbender drew a two-out walk and Makita followed with a clutch single to left to bring home Hammudeh with what proved to be the game-winning run.
Wisconsin-Parkside, which improved to 6-7 on the season, also received base hits from Bittenbender and
Max Widmar in the game-two victory.
Grand Valley State, which is 11-6 on the season, took a 2-0 lead in game one with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning.
Wisconsin-Parkside rallied to take the lead by scoring three times in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Zach Thompson got things started for the Rangers in the fifth inning with a single to left. With two outs,
Kyle Schulz singled to center and advanced to third on a fielding error, which allowed Thompson to come around to score cutting the Lakers lead to 2-1.
Bittenbender followed with a double to left that scored Schulz and tied the game at 2-2. Makita then put the Rangers in front as he hit a triple to left that brought home Bittenbender giving the Rangers a 3-2 lead.
Grand Valley State tied the game with a run in the top of the sixth inning and then took control of the game by scoring four times in the top of the seventh inning.
Wisconsin-Parkside returns to action on Tuesday (March 21) when it faces Cedarville in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. in Cedarville, Ohio.