Crestwood, IL – Parkside opened its four-game set with Roosevelt by sweeping Friday's doubleheader in dominant fashion. The Rangers' offense erupted, scoring a combined 23 runs across the two games. Dylan Sayles led the charge, finishing the day with five hits, six RBIs, and two home runs. Parkside now sits at 18-7 in the 2025 campaign.
GAME ONE
The Rangers struck first in the opening frame as Owen Brock doubled home Peter Fusek, who had a stellar day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored and two stolen bases. Parkside added to its lead in the fifth thanks to a sacrifice fly from Andrew Mack and a two-out RBI single by Brock, extending the advantage to 3-1.
Roosevelt battled back in the sixth, scoring three runs to take their first lead of the game. But with the game on the line, Carter Storti came up big in relief, escaping a jam and keeping Parkside within striking distance.
After a back-and-forth contest that saw both teams trade blows, Parkside entered the seventh inning trailing 5-4. Parkside responded in dramatic fashion, mounting a seventh-inning comeback. Jake Petasek doubled home Max Johnson to tie the game at 5. Later in the inning, Dylan Sayles delivered the big blow, launching a go-ahead grand slam to give Parkside a commanding 9-5 lead. Sayles finished the first game 2-for-4 with four RBIs, leading the offensive charge.
Despite a late push from Roosevelt, Parkside held firm. With the tying run on base in the final frame, Peter Fusek induced a groundout to secure a hard-fought 9-8 victory and earn his second save of the season.
GAME TWO
The Parkside offense exploded for 14 runs in a dominant showing against Roosevelt in Game 2, cruising to a 14-7 victory. The Rangers' bats were relentless, tallying 13 hits and capitalizing on six Roosevelt errors to secure the win.
Dylan Sayles set the tone in the first inning with a solo home run, and Parkside continued to apply pressure throughout the game. The offense broke things open in the later innings, highlighted by a five-run sixth that put the game out of reach. Sayles led the charge with three hits, while Fusek added a triple and a double, scoring four times in a stellar performance at the plate once again.
Parker Swanson picked up the win in relief, working through a rocky fifth inning before stabilizing the game for the Rangers. The bullpen took care of the rest, as William Hyland, Austin Grube, and the Parkside relief corps shut down Roosevelt over the final three frames.
Despite a brief Roosevelt rally, Parkside never let up. The Rangers tacked on insurance runs late, including a three-run ninth, to shut the door on any comeback hopes.
NEXT
Parkside and Roosevelt will conclude the series tomorrow at Ozinga Field. The second and final double header of the weekend is slated for 12:00 PM. For coverage of the event, visit ParksideRangers.com/coverage.
