KENOSHA, Wis. –
Chris Day (
Fr.-Victorville, Calif.) hit his first collegiate home run and the Lakeland University baseball team hung around before falling to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside 6-2 Wednesday evening at Simmons Field.
The Muskies scored first and gave NCAA Division II UW-Parkside a battle before the Rangers slowly pulled away in the late innings. Lakeland dropped to 0-9 on the season while Parkside improved to 6-8.
Day hit a two-out solo homer out to left field in the fourth inning on a 1-2 pitch to draw the Muskies within 3-2. The freshman's home run came just after Lakeland had got the leadoff runner on base with
Austin Palmer (
So.-Oro Valley, Ariz.) reaching on an error, only to have it erased on a 6-4-3 double play.
The Muskies also scored first in the game, with
OakLee Spens (
Jr.-Burbank, Calif.) doubling to lead off the game, moving to third on a sacrifice bunt by
Lane Sobieski (
Sr.-Berlin, Wis.), and then coming in to score on a wild pitch. Parkside would score three times in the third inning, though, including a two-run home run by Michael Zordani to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead.
Parkside would also add single runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings. The Muskies would put at least one runner on base in six different innings, but hit into two double plays and also had a runner caught stealing third to end the third.
Spens and Day had two hits each to lead Lakeland, and Spens reached three times total after also getting on with a walk.
Kellen Hodges (
Jr.-Littleton, Colo.) and
Noah Leopold (
So.-Appleton, Wis.) also added one hit each.
Kyle Gould (
So.-Crete, Ill.) got the start and allowed six hits and three runs with a strikeout and three walks in 3 1/3 innings. Four other relievers pitched, including
Cole Dixon (
So.-Newark, Calif.) throwing 1 2/3 hitless innings.
Zordani drove in three runs total and Noah Tyrrell added three hits for the Rangers. Sean Sodaro came on in the third inning and finished the final seven innings to get the win, allowing four hits and a run with five strikeouts.
The Muskies next are scheduled to face Carroll University on Sunday, and the doubleheader that was scheduled to be played at Lakeland has now been moved to Carroll's field in Waukesha due to snow still on the Muskies' home field. The doubleheader at Frame Park will begin at noon.
