ST. LEO, Fla.- The Parkside Rangers opened the 2026 season on Friday evening with a 10–3 loss to Saint Leo in Saint Leo, Florida at Thomas B. Southard Stadium.

Parkside struck the ball well at times, tallying seven hits, but four defensive errors proved costly against a sharp Saint Leo lineup that capitalized on extra opportunities.

Saint Leo jumped out early in the bottom of the first. After a pair of singles and a wild pitch, an error allowed two unearned runs to score, giving the Lions a 2–0 lead. They added another run in the second on an RBI single from Thomas DeBrower to extend the advantage to 3–0. 

The Lions widened the gap in the third when Ryan Crivell launched a two-run home run to center field, pushing the lead to 5–0. Crivell finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs, also adding a double later in the game.

The Rangers broke through in the sixth inning. Dylan Sayles ignited the frame with a double to left and advanced to third on a groundout. With two outs, John St. Clair reached on a fielding error, allowing Sayles to score the Rangers' first run of the season.

Saint Leo responded immediately in the bottom half. A two-run home run by Amai Rivera extended the lead to 7–1, and additional defensive miscues helped the Lions plate two more runs in the inning to take a commanding 9–1 advantage.

Parkside showed resilience in the eighth. After Joe Mrowiec singled and Ryan Klukas entered as a pinch runner, Trace Kirchberg ripped a triple to right center to score Klukas. Josh Wicker followed with an RBI groundout to bring Kirchberg home, trimming the deficit to 10–3. Kirchberg finished with a triple and an RBI, while Sayles led the Rangers offensively, going 2-for-4 with a double and a triple.

Nathan Hanel added a hit behind the plate and threw out a runner, while Ben Loyd contributed a single as part of Parkside's seven-hit effort. On the mound, Ryan Schissler tossed two innings in relief, and Kyler Kennen closed the game with a scoreless eighth.

Despite the loss, Parkside showcased its extra-base ability with two doubles and two triples and will aim to tighten up defensively moving forward in the series.
 
UP NEXT
The Rangers will continue action with two games on Saturday, February 14 at 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., followed by a matchup on Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
 
For all things Parkside Baseball and links to live coverage, visit ParksideRangers.com/coverage .