TITUSVILLE, Fla. – The No. 6 ranked Parkland College Softball team closed its spring break road trip to Florida with a 3-0 day on Friday, March 17th. The Cobras (20-8) didn’t need any luck on St. Patrick’s Day, taking down Bismarck State College 5-2 before sweeping a doubleheader against No. 7 DIII Suffolk County Community College. The Cobras shutout SCCC in both games, winning 8-0 in game one and 9-0 in game two, as Parkland pitchers Ellie Vetter and Ryleigh Owens combined for a six-inning no-hitter to complete the sweep. Sophomore Jaidi Davis led the Cobras with 5 RBI on Friday.
Up next, the Cobras head back to Illinois and resume play on Wednesday, March 22nd, with a doubleheader at No. 16 Rock Valley College. First pitch against the Eagles (11-2) is scheduled for 2:00 PM in Rockford.
Game 1: No. 6 Parkland College 5, Bismarck State College 2
The Cobras struck first, taking a 1-0 lead over the Mystics (0-5) after Zoey Clark (1-2, RBI, R) scored Addie Wallace (3-4, RBI, R, SB) on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 1st. Sophomore Delaney Melton (1-3, RBI) drove in Clark in the 4th inning to give Parkland a 2-0 lead, and the Cobras led 3-0 after the 5th inning. Bismarck State got a run back in the top of the 6th, but designated hitter Karley Yergler launched a solo home run out to center field in the bottom half, and Parkland drove in one more to lead 5-1 after six. The Mystics got another back in the top of the 7th, but the Cobras won 5-2 in seven innings.
Freshman Izzy Sheets (2-0) earned the win, allowing five hits and one earned run in six innings of work on Friday morning, striking out 10 in her third start this season. Freshman Ryleigh Owens relieved Sheets in the seventh.
Game 2: No. 6 Parkland 8, No. 7 (DIII) Suffolk County Community College 0
The Sharks (3-3) opened the game with a triple off of Cobra starting pitcher Karley Yergler, but the freshman locked in after that. Yergler (9-6) did not allow another hit, striking out 13 batters in a 5-inning shutout.
Offensively, Parkland took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st inning before scoring six runs in the 2nd, including a 3-run home run from first basemen Jaidi Davis (1-3, 4 RBI, HR) to take a 7-0 lead. The score remained the same until pinch hitter Emma Hardiek lifted a solo home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the 5th, and the Cobras run-ruled the Sharks 8-0 on Friday.
Game 3: No. 6 Parkland 9, No. 7 (DIII) Suffolk County 0
Parkland got off to another hot start, leading 3-0 after Jaidi Davis scored on a wild pitch and Emma Mason (1-1, RBI) lifted an RBI single to left field, driving in Lexie Griffin (1-1, 2 R, 2B, HBP) in the top of the 1st inning. The Cobras extended their lead in the 3rd as Davis (1-3, RBI, 2 R, BB) scored another run on a wild pitch, and Jaden Corley (1-3, RBI) hit an RBI single to make it 5-0. Parkland scored four more in the top of the 6th, and the Cobras cruised to a 9-0 victory.
Starting pitcher Ellie Vetter (5-1) did not allow a hit in three innings of work, striking out six of the 11 batters she faced, and Ryleigh Owens (3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 7 K) upheld her standards as the pair of freshmen combined for a six-inning no-hitter in game three.
