Grayslake, IL - In the series finale between the Parkside Rangers and Davenport Panthers, it took 11 innings to decide a winner. Parkside erased a two run deficit in the ninth inning to send the game to extra innings. They then scored two in the eleventh inning to outlast Davenport, 6-5.
How it happened:
For the first time in his collegiate career, Leo Burger got the nod and started the game for the Rangers on the mound. Burger has mostly appeared in the later stages of games, ranking second in the GLIAC with four saves, but his role was different on Sunday. The change of scenery barely phased Burger, as he tossed five brilliant innings. His first inning went 1-2-3 with two strikeouts in the process.
However, in the second inning the Panthers scratched two runs across. They scored on an RBI bunt single, and a soft line drive into center field. It propelled them to a 2-0 advantage at the end of the second inning.
Burger settled in, retiring the next five hitters in order. In the top of the fourth inning, Burger induced a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. Parkside collected three hits of their own in the next inning, and chipped away. Emanuel Andujar Ferreira scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded to get the Rangers on the board. Davenport possessed a 2-1 lead after four innings of baseball.
Leo Burger wrapped his first collegiate start up with a dominant fifth inning. He struck out the final two hitters he faced, totaling five in the game. He left in a 2-1 game.
Parkside's offense was held off the board in the fifth and sixth inning, but continued to threaten. They left two on base in each inning. In the seventh inning, Davenport made them pay. They scored two more in the inning and opened up their largest lead of the game. Austin Grube entered to pitch midway through the seventh, and got the final out of the inning. He stranded a Davenport runner on base. It was a 4-1 game headed to the home half of the seventh inning.
The resiliency never stopped for the Rangers. After Angel Rades reached on a two-out error, Emanuel Andujar Ferreira smoked an RBI double into left center field. Andujar provided the counter punch as the Rangers trailed 4-2 headed to the eighth inning.
Davenport once again put runners on base in the top of the eighth but could not score. Noah Gerritson got the final out of the inning, striking his second batter faced. Davenport stranded three runners as Gerritson got out of the mess.
In the bottom of the ninth, mania struck and Parkside rallied to tie the game. Koto Sato began the inning with a line drive base hit and got on to lead off the inning. Next, Peter Fusek was hit by the pitch. After three wild pitches, both Sato and Fusek came home and scored. Parkside tied the game at four and the series finale went to extra innings.
In the tenth inning, Davenport got a runner on base with one out. Parkside brought Peter Fusek in to pitch from left field to get them through the rest of the game. Camden Kearney came off the bench to play left field and made a game saving catch just moments later. With two outs and the go-ahead run in scoring position, Kearney tracked down a deep fly ball at the warning track to end the inning and keep the game tied.
After Parkside failed to score in the 10th, Davenport managed to bring a run home in the 11th inning. They took a 5-4 lead and needed three outs in order to sweep the Rangers in the four game series.
In the bottom of the 11th, Peter Fusek once again got Parkside going. He worked a long at-bat, working an 0-2 count, to a leadoff walk. Next, Angel Rades reached on a bunt single down the third base line. Davenport picked up the perfect bunt, and threw the ball away. It went all the way down the right field line. A massive error allowed Fusek to score all the way from first base. The game was once again tied, and Rades pulled into third as the winning run. On the very next pitch, Camden Kearney hit a rocket that went over the centerfielder's head, scoring Rades and winning the game, 6-5.
Parkside pulled off the dramatic win, erasing deficits of 4-1, and 5-4 in the 11th inning. Kearney was the hero, making a massive catch in left field and collecting the walk-off hit. Parkside improved to 17-22 overall and 6-15 in GLIAC play.
Next:
The Parkside Rangers will take the next several days off and return to action on Friday. They will play against Purdue Northwest at 1:00 pm in Hammond, Indiana. For coverage of the event, visit ParksideRangers.com/coverage.
