CRESTWOOD, Ill. – Roosevelt could not string together hits and a bevy of walks came back to haunt the Lakers in a 7-2 loss to Parkside on Wednesday in the home opener at Ozinga Field in Crestwood.

The Lakers (5-4) were not at shortage of hits or baserunners, they simply couldn't find that final hit to extend innings. Roosevelt stranded eight runners on the bases overall, including three leaving multiple runners on base with chances to rally back into the game. That was especially the case in the ninth inning when Diego Munoz led off with a double into the gap in right field and Jaylen Heard followed by drawing a walk. The Lakers then struck out twice sandwiched around a shallow popout to leave the two runners stranded after a promising start to the inning.

Roosevelt also didn't do itself any favors on the basepaths with a pair of base runners thrown out at inopportune times. In the second inning, Sherman Martin smacked a single into left field then was thrown out trying to steal second. On the next pitch, Munoz laced a double into left field and Heard worked a two-out walk in a moment that would have staked the Lakers to an early lead.

Even after Parkside took the lead in the third, it looked like the Lakers were ready to respond immediately. Jojo Mack led off the frame with a single then scored on Bryce Hayman's double off the left-field wall.  However, Hayman was caught two batters later taking too big of a lead off second base and ended up getting tagged out in a rundown.

Kerry Zeese took the mound for the Lakers in their first home game of the season, and the senior danced around trouble in the first two innings. He could not escape the third inning unscathed, however, as the Rangers put up three runs on just two hits courtesy of four walks. Roosevelt's pitchers issued nine walks and four of them eventually came around to score, including one in the eighth and another in the ninth that tacked on extra insurance for Parkside.

Krzysztof Solis was Roosevelt's most effective pitcher, allowing just one hit and striking out three in three innings of relief. He didn't even throw an official pitch after coming into the game in the fourth inning, immediately picking off the Parkside runner at second before throwing to the hitter. He pitched perfect fifth and sixth innings then got the first two batters out in the seventh before surrendering his one hit and being replaced.

Munoz was the source of most of Roosevelt's offense with a 3 for 4 performance at the plate with all three of his hits going for extra bases. In addition to his doubles in the second and ninth innings, Munoz led off the seventh with a triple and scored on Heard's RBI groundout. No other Lakers player had more than one hit and Roosevelt finished with just seven hits on the game.

Roosevelt now heads to Florida to compete in the RussMatt Invitational with its opening game Sunday at noon Central against Lawrence Tech in Auburndale, Fla.