NORMANDY, Mo. — The Parkside Rangers softball team split a Sunday doubleheader against Missouri-St. Louis at Incarnate Word Academy, falling 4-3 in game one before responding with a 7-6 victory in game two.

GAME ONE VS. MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS:

Parkside found itself in an early hole in the opener, as Missouri-St. Louis did all of its damage in the bottom of the first. After a pair of walks and another free pass loaded the bases, Rylie Buchanan changed the game with one swing, launching a grand slam to give the Tritons a 4-0 lead.

The Rangers answered immediately in the top of the second and nearly erased the deficit in one inning. Isabel Aranda started the rally with a single to right center, and Reese Valha followed with a base hit to left. Megan Medlin then reached on an error that allowed Aranda to score, Kendall Woods came on to pinch run and stole second, Maddie Hernandez grounded out to bring home Valha, and Peyton Klikno singled to center to score Woods and trim the deficit to 4-3.

That three-run second inning accounted for all of Parkside's offense, but the Rangers continued to battle behind a strong effort in the circle from Melanie Andrysiak. The right-hander settled in after the opening frame and kept Missouri-St. Louis off the board the rest of the way, finishing with a complete-game effort. She allowed just three hits over six innings while striking out seven.

Parkside had chances late, including a leadoff single from Aranda in the seventh, but Missouri-St. Louis starter Ashley Borowitz closed the door to preserve the 4-3 win. The Tritons managed only three hits in the game, but Buchanan's first-inning grand slam proved to be the difference.

Aranda led Parkside offensively in the opener with two of the team's four hits. Valha and Klikno added one hit each, while Hernandez and Klikno drove in runs. All three Ranger runs in the second inning were unearned.

GAME TWO VS. MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS:

Parkside answered the opening loss with one of its better offensive showings of the season in game two, piling up 12 hits and building a 7-1 lead before holding off a late Missouri-St. Louis rally.

The Rangers struck first in the opening inning. Mia Johnson walked, CICI Di Silvio was hit by a pitch, and after both runners moved into scoring position, Isabel Aranda singled to right to bring Johnson home for a 1-0 lead.

Parkside added three more runs in the third. Di Silvio opened the inning with a single, Ava Swain followed with a hit to left center, and Taylor Utrata delivered an RBI single to score Di Silvio. Later in the inning, Aranda lifted a sacrifice fly to right that plated Swain, and Reese Valha doubled to left center to score Utrata and stretch the margin to 4-0.

Missouri-St. Louis got one back in the fourth on a solo home run by Phoebe Miller, but the Rangers answered in both the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, Aranda singled and later scored on an RBI single by Megan Medlin. In the sixth, Peyton Klikno doubled to left center, and Johnson followed with a two-run home run to push the lead to 7-1.

The homer was Johnson's team-leading sixth of the season, and she continued to pace the Rangers offensively as her 17 RBI also remain the team high.

Missouri-St. Louis mounted its biggest push in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four times to make it a 7-5 game. Kiley Sullivan singled in a run, May Pasqualini was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in another, Gracie Philpot reached on an error that brought home a run, and Buchanan added a sacrifice fly.

The Tritons made one more run in the seventh when Sullivan doubled to left center to score Jamie Widule, but Holly Lowenberg recorded the final two outs to lock down the save and secure the 7-6 Parkside victory.

Johnson led the Rangers in game two by going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, two runs scored and a walk. Aranda also had a big afternoon, finishing 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Di Silvio collected two hits, Valha doubled and drove in a run, Utrata added an RBI single, Medlin knocked in a run, and Klikno doubled and scored. Swain chipped in a hit and scored once as Parkside produced 12 hits in the win.

Casey Jo Vermett earned the victory after throwing the first five innings. She allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits while striking out eight. Lowenberg worked the final two innings for her first save of the year.

Missouri-St. Louis totaled nine hits in game two, with Sullivan leading the way by going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a double. Widule added three hits and scored twice, while Miller homered and Buchanan drove in two runs.

Parkside returns to action next weekend in Ohio for a pair of doubleheaders, beginning Saturday, March 14 against Tiffin at noon CT before taking on Findlay on Sunday, March 15, also starting at noon CT.

To keep up with the Rangers, be sure to visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.