Behind a couple of strong pitching performances, Parkside baseball split with Northwood on Saturday at Historic Simmons Field. Northwood got a no-hitter from Max Bain in game one to win 4-0, and Nicholas Rana helped the Rangers bounce back to take game two 2-1 as he went 6.1 innings allowing one run.
 
GAME 1: Northwood 4, Parkside 0
After back-to-back scoreless innings to open the game, Northwood broke the scoreless game with a run in the top of the third, then added three in the top of the fourth to take a 4-0 lead. Bain was nearly unhittable to start the game, striking out six of the first seven batters he faced and finishing with nine strikeouts.
 
Parkside drew three walks in the game, but strong defense behind Bain helped the Timberwolves secure the no-hitter.
 
GAME 2: Parkside 2, Northwood 1
Rana's final line went 6.1 innings, eight hits, one run and four strikeouts. Aaron Cusimano came in to earn his third save of the season, getting the final two batters out.
 
After two scoreless innings, Northwood again took the early lead, this time on a sacrifice fly against Rana. Parkside bounced back in the bottom of the third, where Hunter Weddel hit a single up the middle and came in to score on Shawn Rigsby's RBI double to left center field. Niko Diaz came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Justin Bennett to make it 2-1. The duo of Rana/Cusimano held the Timberwolves scoreless the rest of the way.
 
Rigsby finished 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI while Weddel went 1-for-1 with a run and a walk. Diaz drew a couple of walks in the game as well while Bennett had an RBI.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Parkside and Northwood moved the game on Sunday, April 7 to a 10 a.m. start at Historic Simmons Field.