PARKSIDE 5, #3 UIS
Parkside baseball earned a crucial series win over No. 3 Illinois Springfield thanks to a 5-2 win over the Prairie Stars on Wednesday. The Rangers split with UIS on Tuesday and have now won four of their last five games, including three wins over top-25 teams.

Hunter Weddel earned the win for the Rangers, while Aaron Cusimano pitched the final 3.1 innings scoreless.

HOW IT HAPPENED
UIS took the early lead with run in the bottom of the first, but the Rangers responded in the top of the second with a run on a Justin Bennett RBI single to plate Lane Ochs, making it 1-1.

The Green & White took their first lead of the game in top of the fourth when Shawn Rigsby hit his first career home run with the Rangers, making it 2-1 Parkside. The Rangers added on to the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning, thanks to a Domenic Esposito two-single that scored Kurt Mlachnik and Matt Tegtmeier, making it 4-1 Rangers.

UIS added a run in the bottom of the sixth, which prompted the call to the bullpen for Cusimano, who came in and got a flyout with UIS runners on first and second. Casey Oliver hit a homer in the top of the seventh inning to add an insurance run for the Rangers.

STATWORTHY
Oliver and Rigsby each went 2-for-4 with a home run while Esposito finished 1-for-5 with two RBI. Bennett, who had a big Tuesday for the Rangers including a grand slam, went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Weddel improved to 1-0 after going 5.2 innings allowing the two runs on four hits with five strikeouts. Cusimano pitched the final 3.1 inning allowing three hits with no runs and three strikeouts.

WHAT'S NEXT
Parkside will battle Findlay on the road next Wednesday before opening GLIAC play against Ashland with four games from March 22-24.