ROMEOVILLE, Wis. – Behind a pair of good games from
Nick Sramek and
Troy Bittenbender, the Parkside baseball team earned a split of Lewis on the road Saturday afternoon. The Rangers won a thrilling game one 7-6 but dropped game two 9-3.
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Game one was a rollercoaster with four lead changes, including a go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning for Parkside. The Green & White started hot, scoring a run in the first inning off a
Domenic Hammudeh RBI single to left center to make it 1-0. In the top of the third inning, the Rangers capitalized a Lewis mistake, as Bittenbender laid down a sacrifice bunt and Sramek came in to score on an error. Later in the inning,
Paul Weise hit an RBI single that score Bittenbender to make it 3-0.
Lewis bounced back to take the lead in the bottom of the third inning, scoring four runs as the first four batters reached in the inning. Parkside didn't stay down long, with an RBI double by Sramek and an RBI single by Bittenbender to take the lead right back in the top of the fourth inning. The Rangers tallied another run in the top of the seventh inning off a
Hunter Weddel RBI single, making it 6-4. Lewis was able to tie it up at 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh, forcing the game into extras. Parkside got three straight two-out singles from Bittenbender, Hammudeh and
Max Widmar (RBI) to take a 7-6 lead they would hold on to.
Nicholas Rana pitched the first 7.0 innings and came away with the no decision while Weddel came in to earn the win, throwing the last 2.0 innings perfect with a strikeout on just 15 pitches.
Offensively, the team pounded out 15 hits in game one, as Bittenbender had a huge game going 4-for-4 with three runs and a triple. Sramek finished 3-for-5 with three runs in the leadoff spot and
Lane Ochs went 2-for-4.
In game two, Lewis had a pair of big innings to jump out to a 9-0 lead after four. The Rangers battled back, scoring a pair in the top of the fifth off a Widmar two-run double and another run in the sixth thanks to Hammudeh getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Sramek and Bittenbender again had good games, going 2-for-4 and 2-for-3 respectively. After the starter
Jarrett Rossiano, Conner Lowman and
Isaac Lawler pitched the final 2.2 innings scoreless with Lawler not allowing a hit in 2.0 innings.
The Rangers will stay on the road next weekend, battling Illinois-Springfield in a four-game series on April 21 and 22.