Bolivar, Mo. --- The Parkside baseball team kicked off the 2023 season on Saturday evening, taking on Southwest Baptist University in doubleheader action. The Rangers held leads in both, but rallies by the Bearcats spoiled the opening games by scores of 12-9 and 11-9.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-   Daniel Llanas led the offense with three hits over the two games, including a home run.
-   Emanueal Andujar and Ryan Brouch each had three hits over the two opening games.
-   Noah Gerritson was the top pitcher Saturday, working four innings in his first start of the year while surrendering just one run.
 
GAME ONE
Parkside scored in their opening at-bat of the 2023 season. With one out Andujar singled through the right side. One out later, a single and an error allowed Andujar to score. Gerritson started off the season with a bang on the mound, striking out the side in the bottom of the first. Parkside made it a 2-0 lead in the second when Jared Heinzen and Andujar ripped back-to-back extra-base hits to right.
 
Southwest Baptist picked up a run in the bottom half of the second, but Parkside was able to answer back in the top of the fifth. A leadoff walk started the inning, and a wild pitch and passed ball allowed Max Bruff to move to third. A sac fly brought Bruff in, making the score 3-1 Parkside.
 
Southwest Baptist took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the fifth. The Bearcats were able to plate three runs on just one hit to take a 4-3 lead. SBU added on insurance runs in the sixth and eighth innings, extending their advantage to 12-4.
 
Parkside tried to make a late rally in the bottom of the ninth, scoring five runs on four hits, including four extra-base hits, but ultimately a strikeout ended the threat, handing Parkside a 12-9 loss to open the 2023 season.
 
GAME TWO
Much like game one, Parkside jumped out in the initial at-bats of the scheduled seven-inning game. With two outs and a runner on Llanas launched a homer over the fence in right, giving Parkside a 2-0 lead. The Bearcats quickly answered back, plating four runs on just two hits in the bottom half of the first.
 
The offenses kept producing in the second. Two walks put a pair on for Parkside with no one out. Joe Prudhom delivered a single through the right side to pull Parkside back within one, and two outs later a single by Bruff and a passed ball made it 6-4 Rangers. Parkside added one final run in the five-run inning on a Ryan Brouch single through the right side, scoring Bruff.
 
The Rangers added an insurance run on a passed ball in the third, but the Bearcats were able to rally. Southwest Baptist plated two in the fourth, two in the fifth, and three in the seventh on a homer to down Parkside 11-9.
 
The Rangers will close out the opening weekend on Sunday with a single nine-inning game against Southwest Baptist with first pitch scheduled for 1:00pm. Links to coverage can be found at ParksideRangers.com/coverage.