Pittsburgh, KS – The UW-Parkside softball team saw Pittsburgh State rally late in game two to steal a 3-2 win from the Rangers. The Gorillas took game one, 14-3 to earn the non-conference doubleheaders sweep.
 
The Rangers had a tough trip through Missouri and Kansas going winless over six games. The team will return to Great Lakes Valley Conference action this weekend with a doubleheader Saturday at Saint Joseph's College. Parkside opens up its home schedule Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. against Minnesota Duluth.
 
Below are recaps from Thursday's games at the Pittsburgh State University Softball Complex.
 
Game One (Box Score)
The Rangers got on the scoreboard first with a run in the top half of the second inning. Three straight singles by Diana Gordon, Ashley Nowdomski, and Natalie Shank loaded the bases with one out. After a fielder's choice, Cecie Portillo drew a walk with the bases juiced to force in Nowdomski for the 1-0 lead.
 
An error by the Rangers defense opened up the flood gates for a big bottom half of the inning. Pittsburgh State recorded five runs after the miscue, one of five Ranger errors in the game, to open up a 5-1 lead.
 
Parkside got two back in the fourth to chip away at the lead. Kelynn Sporer drew a two-out walk before the freshman Portillo knocked her first career home run to cut the deficit to 5-3.
 
Unfortunately Pittsburgh State put the game away in the bottom of the inning scoring nine runs (seven earned) and chasing Sporer from the game. She left allowing ten runs total but just four were earned.
 
Kirsten Luevano and Lauren Vitiello each singled in the fifth but Parkside couldn't push either runner across.
 
Portillo finished 1-for-1 with all three runs driven in. The Rangers had seven different players finish with one hit.
 
Game Two (Box Score)
Both teams threatened in virtually every inning but in the end the Gorillas made the final play to steal the win.
 
The Rangers threatened to break a scoreless tie with a pair of hits to lead off the third. Kira Cooper and Colleen Cummings each singled to put two on with nobody out. The Parkside offense was unable to move the runners, and then watched the Gorillas take the lead in the bottom half.
 
Cheslyn Mitchell delivered a one-out double to score the runner from first for a 1-0 lead.
 
The Rangers responded to take a late lead and put themselves in position to win, scoring two runs in the fifth.
 
Brittany Skarda reached to start the rally thanks to an error at short. Cooper pushed her to second with a base hit to set the table.
 
Cummings moved both runners with a ground ball for the first out of the inning. Gordon then tied the game with single to center field. Then it was Luevano who bounced into a fielder's choice, bringing in Cooper, and giving the Rangers a 3-2 lead.
 
The Gorillas answered quickly when Mitchell homered with one down in the bottom of the fifth to re-tie the score at 3.
 
Parkside had a shot in the sixth getting two runners on with a hit by Portillo and walk to Skarda. But Mitchell, who came on in relief to start the frame, got Cooper to end the inning.
 
Pittsburgh State used the final at-bat to its advantage putting the pressure on the Ranger defense with consecutive bunt singles to begin the seventh.
 
Kristin Kleinmeyer battled back, retiring the next two hitters, and pitching herself one out away from extra innings.
 
But an untimely Ranger error on the next at-bat allowed the run to score from second and end the game.
 
Kleinmeyer went 6 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs while walking none and striking out three. Cummings and Cooper each finished with two hits, combining for four of the seven the Rangers had in the game.
 
Parkside will now travel to Rensselaer, Indiana for Saturday's conference doubleheader against Saint Joseph's. They'll finish the ten-game road trip with a double dip on Sunday against #6 Indianapolis.