RANTOUL, Ill. – The Parkland College Baseball team split two games at the Rantoul Sports Complex on Saturday, February 25th, as the Cobras lost 4-3 to Lansing Community College in the morning and took down Lake Lake College 4-1 under the lights. Sophomore Alex Pipes went five innings in his first start of the season, striking out nine in the win.
Game 1: Lansing Community College 4, Parkland College 3
The Cobras fell behind quickly, trailing 1-0 with the bases loaded and 0 outs in the top of the 1st, but starting pitcher Sam Bryan (4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 9 K) finished the inning without allowing a run and Parkland took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning on a Ryan Snell (1-4, SB) RBI ground out to third. The Cobras extended their lead when Tylor Phommachanhom scored on a fielder’s choice by Tyler Herron in the bottom of the 3rd. The Stars got one back in the 4th, and Lansing Community College retook the lead 4-3 in the top of the 7th. The Cobras got runners on base in the final three innings, but the team couldn’t get them home, and Parkland lost 4-3.
Sophomore Jackson Blemler (2-5, R) singled twice in the loss. Freshman Sebastian Gutierrez (4.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 6 K) picked up the loss, and freshman Brendan Katz threw the 9th inning in the first appearance of his career.
Game 4: Parkland College 4, Lake Land College 1
Parkland first again after a fielder’s choice gave the Lakers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The Cobras took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 5th on a Tyler Herron 2-RBI double to right field, scoring Jake Vitale (1-3, R) and Jackson Blemler (0-2, R, 2 BB). Sophomore Logan Reidelberger (1-3, RBI, R, BB) drove Herron (3-4, 2 RBI, R) home at the next at-bat, and Ryan Snell (1-3, RBI) gave Parkland a 4-1 lead on the team’s third straight double, scoring Reidelberger. Lake Land threatened in the bottom of the 5th and 6th, but Parkland held on to win 4-1.
Alex Pipes (2-0) got the win, and sophomore Jacob Young (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 5 K) picked up the first save of the 2023 season, striking out five in two innings. Blemler scored in his fourth straight game to start the season.
Up next, the Cobras will host two games against Lake Land College at the Rantoul Sports Complex tomorrow, February 26th. First pitch against the Lakers (3-6) is scheduled for 11:00 AM, with the second game to follow.
