CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 3 Parkland baseball dropped the first game of a Monday doubleheader versus Lewis & Clark, 10-7, but salvaged a split with a 4-1 victory in game two. Starter Chase Gockel earned the win in game two behind 11 strikeouts over six innings, while Trevor Minder led the Cobras offense with three hits and four RBI. The Cobras move to 8-4 on the season, 2-2 in the M-WAC.
 
Splitting the four-game series with Lewis & Clark, the Cobras and Trailblazers each won a road game and a home game between Sunday and Monday to begin conference play. The Cobras scored 11 runs between the two games, but the Cobras pitching staff allowed 12 walks in game one to aid Lewis & Clark to the 10-7 win. Parkland's hurlers rebounded in game two with only three hits and five walks allowed, while punching out 12.  
 
Hitting .571 for the series, Trevor Minder recorded eight hits and drove in five runs against Lewis & Clark over the past two days. Of the eight base knocks by Minder, four went for extra bases, including his team-leading fourth home run in game one on Monday.
 
Up next, Parkland will host Quincy JV in a nine-inning game on Thursday, March 21, at 2 p.m. central time. The game was originally scheduled for today before the series against Lewis & Clark was adjusted.  
 
No. 3 Parkland 7, Lewis & Clark 10 (7 inn.)
 
Left fielder Jeremiah Lebron homered in the fifth inning to give Parkland a 2-1 lead, but a six-run inning by Lewis & Clark was too much to overcome for the Cobras in game one. Shortstop Trevor Minder also homered in the game, as the Cobras fell by a score of 10-7.
 
After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the third, the Cobras tied the game on a two-out double by Robert Banard, scoring Trevor Burkhart. Two innings later, Jeremiah Lebron led off the bottom of the fifth with a long home run to left field after just missing a home run earlier in the at-bat on a foul ball down the left line that sailed two feet to the left of the foul pole. The solo shot was Lebron's second of the season.
 
Holding their first lead of the game, Parkland allowed six runs in the ensuing inning on four hits and an error. The big blow came with two outs, as Nick Wilke plated three with a bases-loaded double to make it 7-2 Lewis & Clark.
 
The Cobras immediately got a run back in the bottom half of the sixth when shortstop Trevor Minder hit his fourth home run of the season. Later in the inning, pinch hitter Austin Biehl singled with two outs to drive in Alex Steinbach, cutting the lead to 7-3.
 
Parkland miscues again led to a crooked number in the seventh inning, as Lewis & Clark padded their lead with three runs without recording a hit.
 
Bringing the tying run on deck in the bottom of the seventh, the Cobras scored three times themselves without a hit. Receiving an error and three walks in the inning, the Cobras scored on an error and two wild pitches, but ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
 
No. 3 Parkland 4, Lewis & Clark 1 (7 inn.)
 
Starting pitcher Chase Gockel struck out 11 over six innings and shortstop Trevor Minder drove in three runs, as the Cobras rebounded to win game two, 4-1.
 
The Trailblazers recorded back-to-back hits – a single and a double – to lead off the game, and Gockel shut the visitors down over the next five innings. Only allowing one other hit the rest of the game – a single in the fifth – the Cobra righthander struck out 11 batters. After loading the bases to begin the third inning, Gockel struck out eight straight Trailblazers.
 
After going three-up-three-down in the first two innings, the Cobras broke through in the third inning. Tynan Shahidi singled to center to lead off the inning, and then a one-out walk to Patrick Hayes and bunt single by Trevor Burkhart loaded the bases. After a strikeout, Minder stepped to the plate and promptly emptied the bases, giving the Cobras a 3-1 lead.
 
Still leading by two runs in the fifth, Minder again set up another Parkland run with his second double of the game. After a Barnard walk to begin the inning, Minder laced a double down the line, moving Barnard to third. Barnard moved the final 90 feet on a fly ball by right fielder Corey Price that was misplayed by the Lewis & Clark left fielder.
 
After six innings from Gockel, reliever Logan Pillars pitched a clean seventh inning with two groundouts and a strikeout to close out the victory.