SOMERS, Wis. (Apr. 2, 2017) -- Jake Kolasinski and Kyohei Makita both hit two-run home runs as the University of Wisconsin-Parkside baseball squad swept nineteenth-ranked Saint Joseph's College in a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader played at Augie Schmidt Field on the Carthage College campus.
 
The front end of Sunday's doubleheader started off with a bang in the first inning as Jake Kolasinski sent a two run shot to left center field, scoring Kyohei Makita. Both Ranger (12-10, 6-2 GLVC) hits came after two outs were already recorded.
 
The homerun was all Nate Stolte (2-0) needed from his offense as he served up a seven-inning, complete game gem. Stolte only gave up four hits, while striking out five and walking none in the UW-Parkside shutout. The Pumas (17-9, 3-5 GLVC) biggest threat came as they put two runners on base in the top half of the second inning with two outs, but Stolte struck out the next batter leaving the runners stranded. Saint Joseph's did not advance a runner past second in the opening game.
 
The Rangers did tack on three insurance runs later in the game. In the bottom half of the fourth inning, Trent Muscat hit a long fly ball to right field with the bases loaded scoring Jake Kolasinski, who was on third. In the Rangers' fifth, Kyle Schulz led off the inning with an infield single, and advanced to second after Troy Bittenbender was hit by a pitch. Schultz was able to score from second when Kyohei Makita singled to center. Makita was also able to score later in the inning with a RBI single from Max Widmar.
 
The Rangers kept the momentum going into game number two. Troy Bittenbender opened the first inning with a hit to center, and moved up to second after a bunt single from Kyohei Makita. Bittenbender was able to score on the next at bat as the Puma shortstop over threw first on a double play attempt.
 
In the Parkside half of the third inning, Kyle Schulz led off with a walk. Two batters later, Kyohei Makita sent a 2-1 pitch just over the fence in right center giving the Rangers a 3-0 lead.
 
In the next inning, Saint Joseph's catcher Jeff Hightower sent the first pitch of the fourth deep to left, cutting the Parkside lead to two. The Green and White responded in the bottom half of the inning with three runs of their own. With the bases loaded, Jake Kolasinski drove the ball between first and second scoring Troy Bittenbender and Andrew Luscomb. Max Widmar was up next, and he hit a RBI single through the left side of the infield scoring Kyohei Makita. The Rangers led 6-1 after four.
 
Saint Joseph's College came back in the seventh inning scoring three runs on one hit and two walks, and forcing the Rangers to change pitchers twice in the inning. The Pumas scored another run in the eighth, cutting the lead to one at 6-5. Keaton Kastberg came into pitch for the Rangers to get the final out of the eighth.
 
Kastberg picked up his fifth save of the season as he closed out the ninth inning with only one base runner. Connor Cunningham (3-1) earns the win after pitching three and two-thirds with three strikeouts and no walks. Wisconsin-Parkside used six different pitchers in the 6-5 win over Saint Joseph's.
 
The Rangers will try to extend their three-game GLVC win streak when they head to University of Southern Indiana for doubleheaders on April 8 and 9.