CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 5 Parkland baseball pitchers Chase Gockel and Logan Pillars combined for 7.2 no-hit innings, as the Cobras fell to Division I Jefferson (Mo), 6-5, in a nine-inning game on Monday afternoon. Gockel struck out 10 Vikings over six no-hit innings, as the Cobras dropped to 27-11 on the season.
 
Leading 2-0 after five innings, Jefferson College scored two runs without a hit in the sixth and then used their first hit of the game in the eighth to tie the game again, 3-3. The Vikings took their first lead of the game with a three-run rally with two outs in the top of the ninth. The Cobras put up a fight in the bottom of the ninth, scoring twice on a two-out RBI double from Jeremiah Lebron, but stranded the tying run at second base.
 
Starting pitcher Chase Gockel didn't allow a hit in his six innings of work with 10 strikeouts, allowing one earned run, with four walks. The Cobra righty only allowed two base runners through five innings – two-out walks in the second and fourth innings – and recorded a pair of strikeouts in each of the first four frames. Back-to-back leadoff walks combined with a throwing error and a sacrifice fly plated the two tying runs in the sixth.
 
After putting three runners in scoring position through two innings, the Cobras broke through in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to give Gockel a lead. Three straight one-out singles by Alex Steinbach, Damian Pierce and Dan Warkentin pushed the first run across with Warkentin picking up the RBI. In the fifth, Trevor Burkhart caused havoc on the base paths following a leadoff single, stealing second base, taking third on a wild pitch and then stealing home on a double steal attempt.
 
After Jefferson tied the game, 2-2, in the top of the sixth, the Cobras answered with a hitless run of their own. Two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Robert Barnard who drew a third walk to bring home Pierce.
 
Reliever Logan Pillars took over for Gockel to start the seventh with a 3-2 lead and the no-hitter still intact. Working around an error and a walk, Pillars kept the hit column empty. After two strikeouts and a walk began the top of the eighth, Jefferson recorded its first hit of the game to drive in the tying run.
 
After the three-run rally by Jefferson in the ninth, one-out walks to Burkhart and Shahidi set up the double to right-center field by Lebron. The potential tying run on second, Mike Hampton pinch ran for Lebron but was stranded on a game-ending strikeout.
 
Trevor Burkhart, Trevor Minder and Damian Pierce led the Cobra offense, combining for six of the team's 10 hits. Burkhart and Pierce each reached three times with two hits and a walk, while Minder went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. Burkhart's three steals gives him 36 on the season.
 
Up next, the Cobras will again step outside Region 24 for a single, nine-inning game at Triton College on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in River Grove, Illinois.