ROSEMONT, Ill. --- The Parkside softball team had an upset on the mind as they opened the 2023 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC) Tournament on Thursday afternoon, taking on the No. 7 nationally ranked Grand Valley State Lakers. Parkside scored early and never trailed as
Kiley Akey went the distance, allowing the Rangers to pull off the 2-1 upset in the opening game of the tournament.
POSTGAME
HOW IT HAPPENED
Akey was dominant inside the circle for the Rangers, allowing just one run on five hits while picking up her tenth win of the season.
Cassie Rutledge had two hits in the game and also scored a run.
Brenna Konstanty scored the game-winning run, coming on as a pinch runner in the fourth.
Parkside got to work offensively in the opening at-bats of the game. With two outs and Rutledge on third,
Alex Wooten slapped a single through the left side, giving the Rangers the early 1-0 lead.
The Rangers were able to double their lead in the fourth. With one out
Meagan Maza worked a walk. Konstanty then ran for Maza and came around to score from first, just beating the relay throw home on an Akey double to left.
Akey and the stellar Ranger defense were keeping the Lakers off the board for all but one inning in the contest. Key plays were made throughout, but a tough ground ball handled by
Eden Welling preserved the Ranger lead in the fifth, and an ESPN-worthy catch by Rutledge in the sixth kept the Rangers in front.
Akey sat down the Lakers in order in the seventh, inducing a ground ball by the league's top hitter for the final out of the game.
UP NEXT
The Rangers are one of three unbeaten teams after day one of the GLIAC Tournament. Parkside will take on Ferris St. tomorrow in the 1:30pm matchup. The Bulldogs lost their tournament opener 14-7 to Purdue Northwest on Thursday afternoon. With a win tomorrow, the Rangers would eliminate Ferris St. and move on to the semifinals on Saturday at 11:00am. Links to live coverage throughout the tournament can be found at ParksideRangers.com/coverage.
