RANTOUL, Ill. – The No. 4 ranked Parkland College Softball team remained undefeated in conference play after two wins over Danville Area Community College on Sunday, April 2nd. The Cobras (28-8) (8-0) extended their current winning streak to 11 games with a 7-2 win and 6-5 comeback against the Jaguars (16-13) (2-2) in Rantoul.
Up next, the Cobras travel to Lewis & Clark Community College on Thursday, April 6th, for another conference doubleheader. First pitch against the Trailblazers (9-4-1) (0-2) is scheduled for 2:00 PM in Godfrey.
Game 1: No. 4 Parkland College 7, Danville Area Community College 2
The Cobras finally broke through the Jaguar defense in the bottom of the 4th inning when Emma Mason drove in Katy Hendricks with an RBI double before Ellie Vetter tripled, scoring Mason (2-3, 2 2B, 2 R), and Vetter (2-3, 3B, 2B, 2 RBI, R) scored on a wild pitch to give Parkland a 3-0 lead. The Cobras continued their run in the 5th, scoring four more runs to take a commanding 7-run lead, and Danville mustered up too little too late in the 7-2 Parkland win.
Freshman Karley Yergler (13-6) allowed two earned runs on five hits in her 16th start this season, striking out nine on Sunday in another complete-game win. Third basemen Bri Roloff (2-3, 2 RBI, R) matched Mason and Vetter with 2 RBI in game one.
Game 2: No. 4 Parkland 6, DACC 5
Parkland trailed after Danville Area opened the game with a triple and an RBI fielder’s choice, but the Cobras tied the game 1-1 on an RBI double from Kami Pearson (2-3, 2B, RBI) in the bottom of the 1st inning. The Jaguars regained the lead with four runs in the top of the 3rd, but again the Cobras knotted it up in the bottom half after Lizzie Stiverson (1-3, 3B, 2 RBI, R) drove in Katy Hendricks and Ryleigh Owens on a triple, and Jaidi Davis smacked a 2-run home run to center field to make it 5-5. Owens (2-3, RBI, R) put Parkland ahead with a bloop single into right field in the bottom of the 4th, and the Cobra defense shut out the Jaguars the rest of the way in a dramatic 6-5 win in game two.
Starting pitcher Ellie Vetter (2.2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 5 K) faced 16 batters in her 13th start, striking out five. Reliever Ryleigh Owens (6-1) drove in the game-winning, and the freshman finished the job on the mound. The Edwardsville native allowed just three hits and zero earned runs in four and 1/3 innings of work on Sunday, striking out five in her second conference win.
