Grand Rapids, Mich. – After falling behind 7-0 in the first inning, Parkside nearly pulled off a dramatic comeback in Friday's series opener. However, No. 23 Davenport capitalized on its early ambush and held on for a 7-4 win to take the first game of the series.

How it happened:
The Rangers surrendered seven runs in the opening frame, a rare stumble. Starter Allen Leitner was tagged with the loss despite settling down after the rough start, tossing five innings and allowing just four earned runs. His resilience was on full display.

From there, the Parkside bullpen locked in, with Nick Tinajero and Austin Drayna combining for three shutout innings to give the offense a chance to claw back.

And claw back they did.

After falling behind 7-0, Parkside began chipping away in the second inning when Owen Brock scored on a Josh Wicker single. Brock later added an RBI of his own in the sixth, driving in Peter Fusek, who continued his hot stretch with a 3-for-5 day that included a triple and an RBI.

The Rangers made it a game in the late innings. In the seventh, Max Johnson reached on a hit-by-pitch and eventually scored on Fusek's RBI triple. One inning later, pinch-hitter John Wubben delivered a clutch RBI single to bring Parkside within three.

Trailing 7-4 entering the ninth, the Rangers got the tying run to the plate after Fusek's third hit of the day, but Davenport reliever Blake Skorupski recorded the final outs to secure the save.

Next:
Parkside and Davenport will continue the four-game set tomorrow. First pitch of the twin bill is slated for 1:00 PM (ET). For coverage of the event, visit ParksideRangers.com/coverage.