CRESTWOOD – Roosevelt dropped a pair of turbulent games Friday against Parkside in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at Ozinga Field.

The Lakers (7-18, 1-5 GLIAC) were one strike away from winning the opening game before the Rangers scored five runs in the seventh inning to win 9-8. Roosevelt had similar chances in the second game of the day, but could not harness the momentum in a 14-7 setback.

PARKSIDE 9, ROOSEVELT 8
The opening game started relatively calmly with both teams scoring once in the first four innings. Parkside had a chance to break open the game in the first inning after scoring a run then loading the bases with one out. But Keagan Bobbitt induced an inning-ending double play to escape the jam and keep the Lakers in the game.

Roosevelt managed to tie the game in the second inning without recording a hit, instead moving Jack Kieffer station to station after he was hit by a pitch. A passed ball allowed the senior to advance to second then consecutive groundouts advanced him 90 feet with Kyle Jannenga's scoring Kieffer.

The Lakers' first hit didn't come until the fifth inning when Luke Ulbert hit a towering home run to center field to lead off the inning after Parkside scored twice in the top half of the frame. The Rangers added a run in the sixth to make it 4-2, but the inning didn't end with Parkside in front.

Andrew Lucas drew a walk then Sebastian Casillas immediately smoked a double into left centerfield to bring home Lucas. After a pitching change, James Berry plated Casillas with a single to tie the game then an error allowed Kekoa Ogawa to reach base. Jannenga came through again with two outs with an infield single that was going to load the bases. Instead, the Parkside shortstop made a wild throw that allowed Berry to score to give Roosevelt the lead.

A hit batter and a walk put two runners on for Parkside with two outs when Kevin Schroer found himself battling in a full count. A fluky bloop double on the left-field line ended up tying the game then two batters later, the Rangers hit a grand slam to blow open the game.

However, the fireworks were not close to being over with Roosevelt still having three more outs. Jack Hoh hit a pinch-hit double to start the inning and Lucas hit a massive triple to score Hoh from second. Casillas grounded out to second for the second out, allowing Lucas to score on the play, then Berry kept the Lakers' hopes alive with a double.

Ogawa traded places with Berry by hitting a double of his own to make it 9-8 before the Rangers recorded the final out.

PARKSIDE 14, ROOSEVELT 7
The second game was similarly calm at the start, but much like the first game, it did not stay that way for long. Parkside scored the only run of the first three innings with a solo homer in the first inning before the Lakers struck for two in the fourth.

The frame started with the wind blowing an easy pop fly from Ogawa out of the reach of the Rangers' infielders, and the senior advancing to second on a poor throw from the pitcher. Ogawa stole third then scored on a Jannenga single. Jannenga then promptly stole second and scored on a Hoh double off the wall in left field.

Parkside scored three in the fifth to reclaim the lead, but Roosevelt wasn't done taking advantage of the Rangers' miscues. An error by the second baseman allowed Fabian Cruz to reach base then he moved up 90 feet on a passed ball. A groundout moved him to third base where he was able to score on a Berry groundout to the pitcher.

The Rangers scored five unearned runs in the sixth inning to break open the scoreline to 9-3, but Ulbert responded with another solo shot to lead off the bottom of the inning. Cruz launched a two-run homer of his own later in the frame to cut the deficit to 9-6, which would be as close as Roosevelt would get the rest of the way.

Ogawa hit a solo home run in the seventh after Parkside scored two more in the top of the inning. However, the Lakers had just one more hit after Ogawa's blast as Parkside put the game away with three runs in the top of the ninth.

UP NEXT: Roosevelt and Parkside will conclude their weekend series Saturday with a doubleheader at Ozinga Field starting at 12 p.m.