ROCKFORD, Ill. – Parkland softball dropped a pair of games to NJCAA DIII No. 1 Rock Valley, falling 9-2 in game one and 4-0 in game two. Shortstop
Kate Beckemeyer led the team with four times on base, singling twice and drawing two walks.
Up next, Parkland will travel to John Wood on Saturday, March 30, for a 1 p.m. doubleheader against the Blazers. The Cobras host a doubleheader on Sunday, March 31, against Rend Lake at 1 p.m.
Parkland 2, Rock Valley 9
Consecutive RBI from
Camryn Skundberg and
Emma Newton trimmed the deficit to 5-2 in the third inning, but the Cobras ultimately dropped game one, 9-2. Skundberg and Johnson led the offense with two hits each, while
Kate Beckemeyer (2-3) took the decision in the circle.
After a five-run second inning by the top-ranked team in Division III put Parkland in an early hole, the Cobras got two runs back in the third with RBI from the middle of the order. Turning the lineup over,
Lauren Wendling singled out of the ninth spot, and advanced to second on a
Kate Beckemeyer walk. Wth one out, Skundberg hit her second double in as many at-bats, scoring Wendling. Beckemeyer came in to score on the next pitch when Newton hit a sacrifice fly to left.
Parkland, again, threatened in the fourth and fifth innings with multiple hits in both innings. But, the Cobras were unable to come through with a two-out hit to shrink the deficit any further. Rock Valley padded their lead with two runs in both the fifth and the sixth innings.
Led by Skundberg and Johnson, the Cobras recorded seven hits and drew four walks on the day. Beckemeyer joined Skundberg and Johnson in reaching base two times with a pair of walks.
Parkland 0, Rock Valley 4
Kate Beckemeyer singled twice, but the Cobras were held to four hits in a 4-0 loss in game two.
Kirbie Mendenhall pitched all six innings for Parkland, but took the loss.
Trailing 3-0, a one-out rally in the top of the sixth offered Parkland's best scoring opportunity of game two.
Lauren Wendling doubled with one out and was followed by a Beckemeyer's second hit of the game. However, the Golden Eagles induced an inning-ending double play to stunt the rally.
Rock Valley scored three of their four runs in the third on three hits before adding an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth.
