SOMERS, Wis. -- Junior
Domenic Hammudeh had two hits and drove in four runs, but Wisconsin-Parkside was swept by visiting Illinois Springfield in a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader on Sunday at Oberbrunner Field.
Illinois Springfield won the opener 11-8 and then completed the sweep with a 12-2 win in game two of the twinbill. With the two victories, the Prairie Stars improved to 26-15 overall and 15-5 in conference play while Wisconsin-Parkside dropped to 15-19 overall and 9-11 in league play.
The Rangers fell behind 9-0 in game one before mounting a stirring comeback. Wisconsin-Parkside began its comeback by pushing across five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Max Widmar led off the inning with a walk and pinch hitter
Vincent Hubli also drew a free pass. The Rangers loaded the bases when
Zach Thompson was hit by a pitch and scored their first run of the game when
Trent Muscat reached on a fielder's choice, which brought home Widmar.
Bryan Wade followed with a single up the middle to score Thompson with the second run of the inning and Hammudeh ripped a double to left centerfield that scored Muscat and Wade and trimmed the Illinois Springfield lead to 9-4. The Rangers got a run closer when
Kyohei Makita singled through the right side to score Hammudeh to cut the lead to 9-5.
Illinois Springfield added a pair of crucial insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning, but the Rangers would continue to chip away at the lead.
Widmar walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning and advanced to second on defensive indifference. With two outs, Muscat singled to left advancing Widmar to third and Wade singled up the middle to score Widmar to trim the lead to 11-6.
After Muscat and Wade moved up a base on a wild pitch, Hammudeh hit his second double of the game to bring home both runners and bring the Rangers to within 11-8. Illinois Springfield reliever Chase Lowman then got a flyout to end the threat and the game.
Wade was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs for the Rangers in game one, while Makita was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Muscat, Thompson,
Troy Bittenbender and
Nick Janssen each added base hits for Wisconsin-Parkside.
Illinois Springfield jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game two before the Rangers got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning. Bittenbender hit a one-out single and advanced to second when Widmar grounded out to second base. Bittenbender reached third on a wild pitch and scampered home when the throw from the catcher sailed into leftfield.
The Prairie Stars responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning to up the lead to 5-1, but the Rangers added a run in the bottom of the frame when
Andrew Luscomb singled home Thompson who walked to lead off the inning.
Illinois Springfield broke the game open in the top of the eighth inning by scoring six runs to up the lead to 12-2.
Bittenbender was 2-for-4 with a run scored in game two, while Widmar was 2-for-4.
Jake Kolasinski, Thompson and Luscomb each had hits for the Rangers in the second game.
The Rangers return to action on April 29-30 when it visits McKendree for a four-game GLVC series beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday (April 29) at 12 p.m.
