CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 5 Parkland baseball split a Saturday doubleheader against No. 16 Heartland to win the weekend series, 3-1. After dropping game one of the day, the Cobras bounced back for a 15-5 win in game two to back five innings from winning pitcher Keegan McHood (5-1). Now 26-10 overall, the Cobras enter the last week in April with a 19-5 record to lead Region 24.
 
After outscoring the Hawks 30-5 on Friday, the Cobras won the series with a power surge in game two of the Saturday doubleheader. Hitting four home runs in the route, Steinbach (2-3, HR, 4 RBI) and Minder (2-3, HR, 3 RBI) hit a pair of three-run bombs, while Lebron (4-4, 2HR, 4 RBI) knocked two over the wall to take the team lead with six big flies on the season. In total, the offense recorded 12 hits, including six of the extra base variety. Adding to the attack, catcher Robert Barnard recorded four more hit-by-pitches to his NJCAA-leading total, now leading the league with 28 pitches off the armor.
 
Improving to 5-1 on the season, Keegan McHood earned the victory on Saturday behind five innings of work. Outside of a four-run second inning, McHood allowed just two hits and one run while striking out nine.
 
Up next, Parkland will host a nine-inning game against Jefferson (Mo.) on Monday, April 22, at 2 p.m. central time. The Cobras will be looking to avenge a 3-2 loss against the Division I opponent back on March 20 in Hillsboro, Missouri.
 
Game 1: No. 5 Parkland 1, No. 16 Heartland 8
 
Facing Hawks starter Garner Spoljaric who entered with a 1.59 ERA, the Cobras were held to two hits in the game-one defeat.
 
Falling behind 4-0 in the second inning, the Cobras scored their lone run of the game in the bottom of the fourth with two walks and an RBI double. Steinbach and Warekntin both worked walks, and then right fielder Robert Archbold hit a double to left-center field to plate a run. A hit-by-pitch brought the tying run to the plate, but Spoljaric ended the inning with a strikeout.
 
Heartland added four more runs in the top of the seventh, taking advantage of a pair of Parkland errors.
 
Ryan Culley made the start for the Cobras, going 4.1 innings and striking out six. Reliever Jordan Walden worked the final 2.2 innings, pitching clean fifth and sixth innings and striking out three.
 
Game 2: No. 5 Parkland 15, No. 16 Heartland 5 (5 inn.)
 
The Cobra offense came alive early in game two, lining five hits to plate six runs in the bottom of the first. After a one-out double by Shahidi and back-to-back singles from Minder and Lebron scored the first run, Alex Steinbach provided the big blow with his fifth bomb of the season. Another hit and walk chased starter Shane Gorman from the game in just two-thirds of an inning. A hit-by-pitch and RBI walks by Burkhart and Shahidi concluded the six-run first.
 
Heartland responded with four runs of their own in the top of the second, but the Cobras got a run back in the bottom half when Jeremiah Lebron hit a moon shot to left-center field for his fifth home run of the season.
 
A clean third inning by McHood kept the lead at 7-4, and then Parkland put up another crooked number in the bottom half. Scoring all four runs with two outs, Trevor Minder hit the team's third homer in as many innings, jacking a three-run homer to left. After Lebron's third hit of the game and a stolen base, Steinbach singled home the Cobra designated hitter for the fourth run.
 
A Heartland home run cut the lead to 11-5, but the Cobras, again, muscled up to complete the run-rule victory with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. After Minder started the frame with a four-pitch walk, Lebron uncorked his second long-ball of the game to give him a team-leading six homers on the season. Another walk to Steinbach brought the winning run to the plate in Damian Pierce who nearly hit a walk-off home run, doubling off the top of the right field wall to score Steinbach. Pierce moved to third on a wild pitch, and then Warkentin drove him in with a walk-off sacrifice fly to right field.