NORMAL, Ill. – No. 2 seed Parkland College Baseball (35-16) is still alive in the NJCAA Central District (Region 24) Tournament, after losing to No. 6 seed John Wood CC (26-30), by the score of 6-9, and then defeating No. 5 seed Illinois Central College (24-30), by the score of 6-3, late Thursday night.
 
With the win in game two, Parkland will now move on to play No. 4 seed Danville Area CC on Friday, May 21, at 3 pm.
 
 
Game 1: #2 Parkland- 3,  #6 John Wood- 9 (9 innings) 
 
Parkland took an early lead in the first inning on a 2-run home run.
 
In the top of the second, John Wood tied things up with a pair of their own, but the Cobras retook the lead in the bottom half on an RBI double. The Blazers then plated one in the third to tie things at 3-3.
 
In the top of the fourth, John Wood loaded the bases, with no outs, but could produce no runs. An RBI double in the bottom half put the Cobras back on top, 4-3.
 
In the fifth, the Blazers' bats got even hotter, as they scored three, taking a 4-6 lead and forcing a pitching change. Parkland pulled to within one, 5-6, with a home run in the home half.
 
Neither team scored in the sixth, but two consecutive hit-by-pitches, with the bases loaded, put John Wood up by three, 5-8, in the top of the seventh.
 
Parkland got one back in the eighth, on an RBI double, but a Blazers home run in the ninth extended the lead to three, and that is how it ended.
 
 
Game 2: #2 Parkland- 6,  #5 Illinois Central- 3 (9 innings) 
 
Parkland fell behind early, giving up two runs in the first inning, but a 2-RBI single in the second tied the game at 2-2. That score held through five innings.
 
In the sixth, the Cobras loaded the bases and took the lead on a hit-by-pitch, and then, back-to-back RBI doubles and an RBI single in the seventh pushed the lead to four, at 6-2.
 
Illinois Central plated one in the eighth but was unable to get any closer.