The Parkside Rangers opened GLIAC play with a 10–1 loss to the No. 7 Wayne State Warriors on Friday afternoon at Historic Simmons Field.
Wayne State struck first in the second inning, taking advantage of traffic on the bases and a Parkside error. Brayden Crowe drove in the game's first run on a groundout before Brady Blakita followed with an RBI single to give the Warriors a 2–0 lead.
The Warriors extended their advantage in the third inning with three more runs. After loading the bases, Rhett Roeser brought in a run on a fielder's choice, followed by an RBI single from Crowe. Another run crossed on a bases-loaded walk, pushing the lead to 5–0 and ending the day for Parkside starter Keegan Waters. Waters went 2.2 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) with five walks and three strikeouts.
Parkside got on the board in the fourth inning without recording a hit. Nolan Maciejewski reached on an error and eventually scored when Benjamin Loyd reached on another Wayne State miscue, cutting the deficit to 5–1.
Austin Grube provided a solid effort out of the bullpen, tossing four innings while allowing two runs and striking out four to keep Parkside within reach through the middle innings.
Wayne State added insurance runs late, beginning in the seventh inning when Caleb Sanders delivered an RBI double and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Alfredo Velazquez to make it 7–1. In the eighth, the Warriors capitalized on another defensive error to score two unearned runs, and they added one final run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Bennett Hitzelberger.
The Warriors finished with 10 runs on 10 hits, while Parkside was limited offensively and struck out 10 times. Defensively, three errors proved costly in key moments throughout the game.
The Rangers fall to 11–6 overall and 0–1 in GLIAC play and will look to bounce back as the series continues.
Up Next
The Rangers return to action against the Warriors on Saturday, March 21, with a doubleheader set to begin at 1:00 p.m.
For all things Parkside Baseball and links to live coverage, visit
ParksideRangers.com/coverage.