HAMMOND, Ind. – Laborers' Local 41 Field at Dowling Park was left clean after the Purdue Northwest baseball team capped off the weekend sweep of Parkside with a 12-8 decision Sunday afternoon.

Head coach Dave Griffin's Pride got all the runs they would need in the first two innings with three in the first and six in the second.

Brett Veltema got PNW (6-3) on the board in the top of the first with a single to center field that scored Ray Hilbrich, who started the offense with a double to left field. After a Ray Hansen walk loaded the bases, Jake Soules singled back up the middle to plate Anthony Agne and Veltema to put the Pride up 3-0.

With the bases loaded and one out in the top of the second, Veltema stayed hot with a two-run single to right center. Two batters later, Soules would collect his third RBI of the day when he drove in Agne again on a fielder's choice.

Freshman designated hitter Andrew Petsche brought Veltema and Soules around to score on a double to center field. The scoring in the second inning was capped off by what would prove to be the game-winning RBI by Anthony Fumagalli's single to center field that plated Petsche.

PNW recorded six runs on five hits with four walks with all runs being charged to Parkside's Hunter Weddel in the second.

Parkside (0-7) would show signs of life by answering with three runs in the third and five in the fourth to chase the Pride's Jackson Lund from the game. Lund gave up eight runs with only three being earned on eight hits, three walks and four strikeouts.

PNW reliever Joseph Sullivan (1-0) entered the game in the fifth and was very effective, going four shutout innings allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out five for the win.

The Pride offense responded in the sixth with a trio of two-out RBI hits including a single by Petsche, a triple from Fumagalli and a single from Gannon Andrews.

The win is PNW's seventh consecutive against Parkside and 10th in their last 11 meetings with the Rangers.

Andrews would lead the Pride with three hits while Veltema, Soules and Petsche tied for a team-high three RBI.
 
NEXT UP
PNW will open the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference portion of the schedule with Grand Valley State coming to Dowling Park for single games on Friday and Sunday and a doubleheader on Saturday.