KENOSHA, Wis. – The Parkside softball team closed out its final non-conference doubleheader of the season in emphatic fashion Wednesday at Case Softball Complex, sweeping Lewis by scores of 6-2 and 3-2.
Mia Johnson turned in one of the most dominant offensive days in program recent memory, blasting four home runs across the two games and driving in five runs. The senior hit three homers in game one, matching her career best for home runs in a single game, before adding another long ball in game two. Parkside also got a welcome return in the circle from Holly Lowenberg, who pitched for the first time in nearly a month and earned the win in the opener, while Casey Jo Vermett went the distance in game two.
GAME ONE (PARKSIDE 6, LEWIS 2):
Johnson wasted no time setting the tone in the opener, leading off the bottom of the first with a solo home run to deep left to put the Rangers in front 1-0.
That early lead held up through the first four innings as Lowenberg settled in nicely in the circle. Making her first appearance in nearly a month, the right-hander worked four scoreless innings and allowed only three hits while navigating a pair of early Lewis threats.
Parkside added to the lead in the third. Kendall Woods drew a walk to open the inning, and Johnson struck again, this time launching a two-run homer to right to stretch the advantage to 3-0.
Lewis finally broke through in the fifth after Melanie Andrysiak entered in relief. Katie Jensen singled, Kristen Graham reached on an error, Morgan Spodarek singled up the middle, and Anna Frafjord followed with an RBI single. Chloe Kohnhorst added another run-scoring single later in the inning to pull the Flyers within 3-2.
But Johnson answered immediately in the bottom half. With one out, she crushed her third home run of the game, a solo shot to left, to make it 4-2. Two batters later, Ava Swain doubled to left, and Megan Medlin followed with a two-run homer to deep left that pushed the lead to 6-2.
That was enough for Parkside to close it out. Andrysiak worked the final three innings and allowed just one earned run, finishing off the save as the Rangers took the opener.
Johnson finished a perfect 3-for-3 with three home runs, four RBI, three runs scored and a walk. Medlin added a two-run homer, Swain doubled and scored, Elodie Sullivan had a hit, and CICI Di Silvio reached base three times with a single and two walks. Parkside totaled seven hits and six runs, with four of those hits leaving the yard.
Lowenberg earned the win after throwing four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out four. Andrysiak picked up the save with three innings of relief, giving up six hits and two runs, one earned, while striking out two.
Lewis finished with nine hits in the loss. Jensen went 3-for-4, Spodarek had two hits, and Frafjord and Kohnhorst each drove in a run.
GAME TWO (PARKSIDE 3, LEWIS 2):
The second game was much tighter, but the Rangers again got the big swing when they needed it and rode Vermett's complete-game effort to finish off the sweep.
Neither team scored through the first four innings, though both had chances. Taylor Utrata doubled down the right-field line in the second to put Parkside in business, and Lewis threatened in the fourth after Morgan Spodarek walked and Teagan Berkshire added a walk, but Vermett kept the game scoreless.
Parkside finally broke through in the fifth. Johnson singled through the right side, Swain followed with a single to shallow left, and after Isabel Aranda moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt, Medlin lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Johnson for a 1-0 lead.
The Rangers added two more in the sixth, and again it was the long ball doing the damage. With two outs, Jadyn Polerecky launched her first collegiate home run to deep left, giving Parkside a 2-0 lead. One batter later, Johnson followed with another homer, her fourth of the day and 16th of the season, to make it 3-0.
Lewis made things tense in the seventh. Nicole Magdziasz singled, Katie Jensen walked, and after another walk loaded traffic, Chloe Kohnhorst singled down the left-field line to bring home two runs and cut the lead to 3-2. But Vermett got the final out to strand the tying run and finish off the complete-game win.
Johnson led Parkside again, going 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI and two runs scored. Polerecky added the key insurance blast, Medlin drove in a run with her sacrifice fly, and Utrata, Swain and Medlin each added a hit as Parkside totaled six.
Vermett went the distance in the circle, allowing four hits and two runs while walking nine and striking out seven. She worked around traffic all afternoon and made the necessary pitches late to lock down the win.
Lewis managed four hits in the final game. Magdziasz had two, Kohnhorst drove in both runs, and the Flyers drew nine walks but could not capitalize enough to avoid the sweep.
The doubleheader sweep moved Parkside to 20-24 overall heading into a key weekend road trip in Michigan. The Rangers will return to action Saturday at Ferris State, with first pitch set for noon CT.
To keep up with the Rangers, be sure to visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
