Box Score MATTOON, Ill. – Parkland softball starting pitcher Tori Witruk hit a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to cap off seven unanswered runs in the final two innings to defeat No. 5 seeded Danville Area in the opening round of the Region 24 Tournament. Trailing 6-0 in the third inning and 7-2 in the sixth, No. 4 seed Parkland will play No. 1 seed Illinois Central on Friday evening at 6 p.m. central time on Field 1 of the Roundhouse Complex in Mattoon.

 "All the years I have coached, never have we won a game in that manner," said head coach Chuck Clutts. "The ladies wouldn't quit despite being down six runs."

Her first home run of the season, Witruk capped the comeback with a two-out three-run homer to center field to walk off the Jaguars. After struggling in the circle early with seven runs, four earned, allowed, the sophomore hurler shut Danville down over the final three frames – facing just 10 batters to record nine outs – to set up the thrilling final inning. Right fielder Emma Newton preceded the three-run blast with a solo shot to begin the inning and bring the Cobras within a run. The seven unanswered runs all came against Danville Area pitchers who entered the day with a comebined ERA of 1.71 this season.

Trailing 6-0 after the top of the third, Camryn Skundberg started the comeback, as the third baseman singled in a run with two outs in the bottom of the third and hit a solo home run in the fifth.

Still down by five in the sixth, Parkland scored three times in the inning to cut the lead to two. After a run scored on a Jaguar error, Kate Beckemeyer came through in the clutch with a two-out, two-RBI single to make it 7-5.

After Newton's one-out bomb in the seventh brought the Cobras to within a run, the following two hitters, Bella Coffey and Summer Johnson, reached base on a hit-by-pitch, that forced Danville to make a pitching change. After the new Danville pitcher recorded the second out, Witruk stepped to the plate and hit the walk-off home run.