HAMMOND, Ind. — Parkside baseball used a big third inning and timely insurance runs late to earn a 9-6 non-conference victory over Purdue Northwest on Tuesday afternoon.

Parkside wasted no time getting on the board, scoring three runs in the opening frame. After Benjamin Loyd reached and moved into scoring position, Josh Wicker drove him in with an RBI single. Later in the inning, Dylan Sayles delivered a two-run single to give Parkside an early 3-0 advantage.

Purdue Northwest answered immediately, matching the Rangers with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the first to even the score at 3-3.

The Rangers responded with their biggest inning of the day in the third, plating four runs to regain control. Hayden Dieschbourg started the rally with an RBI single before aggressive baserunning and a defensive miscue allowed another run to score. Nathan Hanel followed with an RBI double down the left field line, and Loyd capped the inning with an RBI single to extend the lead to 7-3.

Purdue Northwest chipped away at the deficit, scoring once in the third on a wild pitch, then adding runs in the fifth and sixth innings to pull within one at 7-6.

Out of the bullpen, Donovan Dykas (W, 1-0) provided a steady presence, tossing 4.1 innings while allowing three runs and limiting further damage. Austin Grube followed with 2.2 strong innings, allowing just one hit and no runs, and Leo Berger shut the door in the ninth with two strikeouts to secure the victory.

Parkside added key insurance runs late, capitalizing on errors in the eighth inning to make it 8-6. In the ninth, Sayles doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a sacrifice bunt by Dieschbourg to push the final margin to 9-6.

Offensively, the Rangers were led by Loyd, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with an RBI. Sayles also had a standout performance, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Dieschbourg drove in two runs and scored once, while Hanel added an RBI double.

Parkside finished with 12 hits on the day and combined consistent offensive production with multiple key relief pitching appearances to secure the non-conference win.

Up Next
Parkside will begin a four-game series against Davenport University on Friday, April 10, followed by a doubleheader on Saturday and concluding with a single game on Sunday.
 
For all things Parkside Baseball and links to live coverage, visit ParksideRangers.com/coverage .