HAMMOND, Ind. --- The Parkside Rangers baseball team hit the road on Tuesday afternoon, for a quick midweek GLIAC doubleheader against the Purdue Northwest Pride. Purdue grabbed momentum early in game one and never relinquished it, downing Parkside 15-6. The Rangers answered back in game two, plating five runs in the top of the ninth to earn the series split with a 16-11 win in game two.
 
GAME ONE
Max Bruff was the top offensive performer in game one, launching a three-run homer in the top of the third. Emanuel Andujar Ferreira also had two hits in the opener.
 
Purdue struck first, opening the bottom of the first with back-to-back doubles. The Pride plated four runs in the inning, aided by a Ranger error. Parkside answered back with three runs in the top of the third. With one out and two on Max Bruff launched a three-run homer, his team-leading sixth of the season.

HIGH DEEP AND GONE!!! Max Bruff with the three run shot, pulling the Rangers back within one. pic.twitter.com/oKbRJ3oJTd

— UW-Parkside Baseball (@uwpbaseball) April 11, 2023

 
The Pride quickly answered with four runs in the bottom half, plating four runs on three hits, extending their lead to 8-3. PNW then made it 13-3 in the fifth, plating five runs on five hits, including back-to-back homers with one out. Purdue Northwest added on two more before Parkside could plate three runs in the top of the seventh on RBIs by Ryan Brouch and Patrick Connolly.
 
PNW closed out game one with a final score of 15-6.
 
GAME TWO
Connolly had a career day in game two, going 4-4 with six driven in. Ryan McGonegle was close behind, going 3-5 with five RBIs and four runs scored. Bryce Inman and Jared Heinzen each had three hits. Five pitchers threw in the win for Parkside, capped off by a scoreless ninth by Camden Kearney.
 
Parkside jumped out quickly with a five-run top of the first. With one out Heinzen singled to center field, scoring Brouch. One out later with the bases loaded McGonegle ripped a triple to left center, clearing the bases. Connolly followed with an RBI single to left, extending the Parkside lead to 5-0.

McGonegle with the bases clearing triple! Parkside scores five times in the top of the first in game two. pic.twitter.com/ymfEpyif54

— UW-Parkside Baseball (@uwpbaseball) April 11, 2023

 
The Pride scored two in the bottom half, but Parkside was able to answer with a run in the top of the second on an RBI groundout by Heinzen, making the score 6-2 Rangers. PNW scored three straight, including two in the fourth to pull within 6-5.
 
The Rangers got a run back in the top of the fifth, plating one on an Inman single up the middle. However, the Pride were able to score two in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at seven.
 
Parkside kept the bats going in the sixth, plating a run on an RBI groundout before plating three on a Connolly blast with one out. The Connolly homer extended the Ranger lead out to 11-7. Purdue Northwest clawed back, plating one in the seventh and three in the eighth to tie the game at 11.

Patrick Connolly goes YARD!!!!!

His three run shot extends the Ranger lead back to four.

Mid 6 | Parkside 11, PNW 7 pic.twitter.com/2Uh3MEv5BG

— UW-Parkside Baseball (@uwpbaseball) April 11, 2023

 
The Parkside bats stayed hot in the ninth, where they plated five runs. Andujar Ferreria started the scoring in the inning with a single to right scoring Angel Rades. One out later McGonegle ripped a single to right, scoring two. Connolly followed with a double to right field, plating two more which extended the Ranger lead to 16-11.
 
Kearney came on to work the ninth for Parkside and struck out two to shut the door on the 16-11 win.
 
UP NEXT
The Rangers will return to action on Friday afternoon against Saginaw Valley State. The first pitch of the four-game series is set for 2:05 pm. Links to coverage including the live stream through FloSports can be found at ParksideRangers.com/coverage.