Local colleges: Parkside completes sweep

Friday, March 23, 2007 2:36 AM CDT

Journal Times staff

After Lewis University got a run in the top of the first inning Thursday,

UW-Parkside pitcher John McGowan and his teammates settled down.

The Rangers answered in the bottom of the inning, then blanked the Flyers the rest of the way in a 6-1 victory in a Great Lakes Valley Conference game played at Carthage College.

The victory gave Parkside (11-7, 6-3 GLVC) a three-game sweep over Lewis this week - the Rangers swept a doubleheader on the Flyers' home field in Romeoville Tuesday.

A triple by leadoff hitter and center fielder Ryan Hopp and an RBI single by shortstop Mike Umscheid gave Parkside the equalizer in the bottom of the first. After another run in the fourth, on an RBI single by third baseman A.J. Marquardt, the Rangers broke the game open in the sixth, thanks again to Marquardt.

Left fielder Andy Heller led off the sixth with a double and first baseman Brad Frank was hit by a pitch. After a pop-up by catcher Joe Kelly, Marquardt hit a two-run double and went to third on a throw home. Second baseman Cole McCoy followed with a sacrifice fly.

Marquardt capped a 3-for-4, four-RBI day with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth.

McGowan (3-0) went four innings to get the victory, giving up six hits and walking two. Colin Korab pitched two-hit ball over the next 4 2/3 innings, striking out four, and Nicholas Larson struck out the final batter looking with the bases loaded.

Umscheid and Heller each went 2-for-4.

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