Saginaw Valley State 7, Parkside 3
Saginaw Valley State 14, Parkside 6 (F/6)
The Parkside softball team finished up their weekend home stand with a doubleheader against the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals. The Rangers battled through both contests, but a potent Cardinals offense proved to be too much, as the Rangers fell in both ends of the doubleheader.
 
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @RangerAthletics @UWP_Softball
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1
The Cardinals wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, scoring an unearned run a sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning. Rain began to fall in the second inning and caused some control issues for Parkside pitcher Kiley Akey. Akey walked in the Cardinals second run with the bases loaded. She would find a way to limit the damage to just the one run. The Cardinals would add one more run in the top of the third to jump ahead 3-0. The Rangers would find the scoreboard in the bottom of the third, with Megan Medlin hitting a sacrifice fly to left field to score Dani Evans. Meagan Maza grounded out to second base later in the inning, allowing Eden Welling to score from third.
 
The Rangers stayed within one run until the fifth inning, but the Cardinals offense was not done just yet. A sacrifice fly followed by an RBI single allowed two runs to come how and the Cardinals once again found themselves with a three-run lead. The Rangers answered back in the bottom half of the inning with Cassie Rutledge coming in to score on a wild pitch. The Cardinals tagged on a pair of runs in the sixth and came away with the four-run win.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2
The Cardinals got the action started in the top of the second, putting a crooked six runs on the board. The Rangers answered right back with a run of their own, as Rutledge doubled to left center to score Alex Wooten. Haley Remington would keep the Rangers offense rolling in the third inning with a two run homer to left field, scoring Brenna Konstanty on the play.
 
The Cardinals offense responded in the top of the fourth inning, plating four more runs and jumping out to a 10-3 lead. Despite the larger deficit, the Rangers continued to battle and found themselves with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth. Meagan Maza walked to bring home Welling. Remington would then walk to bring home Medlin. Wooten would be the third walk in a row to score a run as Mia Johnson would touch home to make it a 10-6 game after four innings.
 
A three-run home run for the Cardinals in the top of the fifth would erase the work that the Rangers had done in the fourth inning, making the score 13-6. Another run for the Cardinals in the sixth would force the game to end after just six innings, as Saginaw swept the Rangers in the doubleheader.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE RANGERS
The Rangers return to action on April 8 as they travel to Ferris State for a doubleheader against the Bulldogs. For more information, visit parksiderangers.com.