GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Parkside softball team took to the road after weather forced a location change to Thursday afternoon's doubleheader. The Rangers and Panthers squared off at the Farmer's Insurance Athletic Complex, the home of the Davenport Panthers. The Parkside offense came to play, totaling 20 runs between the two games. The Rangers defeated the Panthers by run rule in game one 9-1 in six innings, then continued to show their offensive dominance in game two, topping the Panthers 11-6. 

Game One 
Oliva Masnica got the start in the circle for game one. Masnica, coming off a stellar performance against No. 18 Grand Valley State just two days prior, was rock solid once again. The junior allow just one Panther run in six innings of work. She would strike out three Davenport batters along the way to her eighth win of the season.

The scoring would stay quiet up until the third frame. The Rangers offense would explode to post six runs on the board. They would bat around in the inning while recording five hits, four of which would go for extra bases. Mia Johnson would open the scoring by lacing a stand up triple down the right field line to score two runs. Johnson would come across to score on a Megan Medlin to center field. Rylee Baetz would follow up Medlin's at bat with a RBI triple of her own. Baetz would come around to score on a Toni Rodriguez double. The final Parkside run of the inning would cross the plate due to a Davenport fielding error to give the Rangers the 6-0 advantage. 

The Rangers kept pouring it on in the fourth inning behind a Johnson two run home run. Johnson would finish game one 2-4 with a game leading four RBIs. The Parkside lead would increase to 8-0 midway through the fourth inning. 

Davenport would post their only run of the game in the bottom half of the fourth inning. 

After a relatively quiet fifth inning the Rangers would push across their final run of the game in the sixth. Baetz would excute the sacrifice to score Parkside's ninth run of the game and put the mercy rule into effect. Davenport would have three outs to work with to extend the game to the seventh inning, but Masnica would throw a double play ball and get the final out on a fly out to right field to slam the door closed on the Panthers. 

Game Two
Ellie Curtis would start game two on the rubber for the Rangers. Curtis would toss six innings while recording three strike outs and allowing six Davenport hits. She would cruise to her second win of the season.

The Rangers picked up right where they left off in game one in the backend of the doubleheader. Parkside would open the top half of the first by plating two runs to give themselves an early advantage. Cassie Rutledge hit her fifth triple of the season to score the opening run of game two. Rutledge's five triples has her currently sitting tied for first in the GLIAC. Megan Medlin would tack on the Rangers second run with a one out RBI base knock to right field. Parkside would be sitting pretty with the early 2-0 at the end of the top half of the first. 

The Parkside offense would once again put up another massive inning in the top half of the third. The Rangers would bring home four runs on four hits. A Haley Remington single down the left field line would load the bases to set the table for Rodriguez. Rodriguez would draw a walk to earn an RBI for her at bat and score the first run of the inning. With the bases still loaded Tia Livernash would drive in another Ranger run on a single through the left side. With the bases still juiced, Taylor Delgado would round out the scoring for the third inning on a two RBI double.

Davenport made things interesting by responding in the home half of the third with two runs of their own. The Ranger lead would be cut to four runs, 6-2.

The Rangers responded immediately as they would bring home three more runs in their half of the fourth. Mia Johnson would set the tone with a solo home run to dead center field, her second of the day. The Rangers would take advantage of Panther fielding errors to bring home the inning's other two runs to make the score 9-2.

Davenport would respond by posting a run in the bottom of the fifth inning as they would look to chip away at the large Ranger lead 9-3.

The Rangers would put the game virtually out of reach in the top of the seventh inning. Once again it was Mia Johnson who would open the scoring. After launching a solo home run in her previous at bat, Johnson would give the ball a ride over the fence in right center field to bring home two Parkside runs. It was Johnson's first multi-home run game as she would finish the day with three total home runs to push her season total to seven. She now second in the GLIAC in home runs this season. Of her seven home runs, six of them have been off of GLIAC pitchers. Johnson's second home run of the day would give the Rangers the 11-3 advantage.

Davenport tried to rally in the seventh, but the Rangers lead was too much to overcome as Parkside would hold on to previal 11-6. 

Up Next
The Parkside softball team will remain on the road as they will travel to Ferris State for a match up with the Bulldogs on Saturday. First pitch of the doubleheader in Big Rapids is set 1 p.m. EDT. Coverage for the game can be found at ParksideRangers.com/coverage.