CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 6 Parkland baseball completed the series sweep of John Wood with a 12-2, 11-5 home sweep of the Blazers on Tuesday afternoon. Winning 10 of their last 11, the Cobras improved to 19-7 overall and 13-3 in Region 24. Starters Ryan Culley (4-1) and Logan Pillars (2-0) picked up wins, while third baseman Justin Dunne hit a walk-off home run to run-rule the Blazers in game one and Damian Pierce doubled home the game-winning runs in game two.
 
Winning his third straight start, Ryan Culley (4-1) recorded his second double-digit strikeout performance of the spring with 10 strikeouts in game one. The left-hander gave up just one hit on the day, a single in the first, while allowing two runs, one earned, in the opening frame. Culley would settle in over the ensuing four innings, bolstered by striking-out the side in both the third and fourth innings. Over his last three starts, Culley has allowed just three earned runs in 17 innings and has lowered his season ERA to 3.30.
 
At the plate, Jeremiah Lebron and Justin Dunne each recorded four RBI in game one. Lebron singled in two in the second and then doubled home two more in the fourth, while Dunne hit his first collegiate home run with a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth for the walk-off victory.
 
In game two, the Cobras used a six-run bottom of the sixth to finish off the come-from-behind victory. Damian Pierce recorded the go-ahead RBI with a bases-loaded double. Improving upon his NJCAA-leading hit-by-pitch total to 21, Robert Barnard took three pitches off his body today.
 
Also highlighting the scorecard today, Dan Warkentin drew six walks on the day, including four base-on-balls in game one. Adding in a hit-by-pitch in game two, Warkentin reached base seven times on Tuesday despite only recording one official at-bat.
 
Up next, the Cobras will travel to Ottumwa, Iowa to face Indian Hills tomorrow, April 10, in a single nine-inning game at 2 p.m. central time.
 
Game 1: Parkland 12, John Wood 2 (6 inn.)
 
Two errors in the first inning opened the door for John Wood to take an early 2-0 lead. After the Cobras loaded the bases but failed to score in the first, designated hitter Jeremiah Lebron drove in his first pair of runs with a single to left to drive in Tynan Shahidi and Damian Pierce.
 
With Culley settling in, Trevor Minder gave Parkland the led in the third when the three-hole hitter led off the inning with a triple and then scored on a passed ball.
 
Leading 3-2, Parkland threw the knockout punch in the fourth as the Cobras sent 10 batters to the plate as part of a four-run inning. The first three batters reached, capped by Lebron's two-RBI double for his third and fourth RBI of the game. Three batters later, Minder singled home Lebron before catcher Robert Barnard scored on a wild pitch for the fourth run.
 
Scoring five more in the final inning, the Cobras scored all five without recording an out. Barnard led off the rally with a single, and then a hit-by-pitch and two walks scored the first run. After Mike Hampton's RBI walk, Dunne unloaded a pitch to left center for the walk-off slam.
 
Pitching an inning of relief, Chase Gockel threw a scoreless sixth inning, retiring the side in order with a pop out, strikeout and flyout.
 
Game 2: Parkland 11, John Wood 5
 
Falling behind 2-0, again, in game two, the Cobras allowed two runs on three hits in the opening frame before tying it in the bottom of the second inning. Scoring twice without scoring, the Cobras worked four walks in the inning with Trevor Burkhart and Trevor Minder picking up RBI.
 
After a pair of shutdown innings from Walden in innings two and three, the Blazers again put the Cobras in the hole with three runs in the top of the fourth. However, the Cobras got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch of Dan Warkentin. The Cobras had a chance to add more, but the Blazers escaped with a strikeout to end the threat.
 
Logan Pillars entered the game and tossed a scoreless top of the fifth, and then the Cobras again worked walks to tie the game. Lebron and Shahidi led off the inning with free passes, and then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Alex Steinbach drove in Lebron on a sacrifice fly, and then Shahidi tied the game on another wild pitch.
 
Tied 5-5 in the sixth, Pillars stranded two bases runners with a strikeout and flyout to end the inning to set up the go-ahead runs in the sixth. A pair of hit-by-pitches to Barnard and Minder and a walk to Warkentin loaded the bases for Damian Pierce. The Cobra second baseman sent a double into the left-center gap to give Parkland its first lead of the game, scoring two. After a wild pitch brought home Warkentin, Lebron traded places with Pierce with his second double of the day and scored on a wild pitch and error. After a walk to Shahidi, Steinbach lined the third double of the inning.
 
Starting the game for the Cobras, Jordan Walden struck out seven Blazers over four innings of work, allowing five runs. Taking over for Walden to start the fifth, Pillars picked up the win behind three shutout innings with three strikeouts.