CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – #1-seed Parkland College Softball (50-7) won both games on day one of the 2-day, double-elimination NJCAA Central A District tournament, putting the team one win away from the championship.
In game one,
Chayse Ramey pitched Parkland to a 6-5 victory over #4-seed Danville Area CC (22-15), while also hitting a game-winning, 2-run home run in the fifth inning.
In game two, Parkland was down, one run, but used an
Isabel Shafer solo home run in the fifth inning to defeat #3-seed Illinois Central College (17-17) by the final score of 2-1.
"Chayse really stayed calm on the mound," expressed Co-Head Coach
Kristi Paulson. "She attacked each inning one pitch at a time. It is great to see her perform in high pressure situations. The whole team showed a lot of grit coming from behind in both games."
Co-Head Coach
Dan Paulson added, "Our defense was solid all day, but, offensively, we have some room for improvement. It was great to see Chayse hit the first home run of her college career, and Izzy (Shafer) came up with a huge long ball in game two! The two wins were good, but we still have some work to do."
The Central A District Championship will continue Sunday, May 9, weather permitting. The Cobras are scheduled to play at 2:15, though its opponent is yet to be determined. A Parkland loss would force an additional 4:30 pm game to crown a champion. A Parkland win, in either game, would qualify the Cobras for the 2021 NJCAA DII Softball Championship, May 25-29, in Oxford, Ala.
Game 1: #1 Parkland- 6, #4 Danville Area- 5 (7 innings)
Danville Area scored 2 in the second inning and held the lead until the bottom of the third when back-to-back home runs by
Reagan Cheely (1-4, HR, 3 RBI) and
Anna Walker (1-4, HR, RBI) put Parkland up, 4-2.
The Jaguars got 1 back in the fourth and then, in the top of the fifth, retook the lead, 4-5. In the bottom half,
Chayse Ramey (1-2, HR, 2 RBI) hit a 2-run home run that also sent
Lizzy Davis (2-4) to the plate, and the Cobras were once again up, 6-5.
Neither team scored in the sixth, and, though Danville Area advanced a runner to third in the top of the seventh, it could not extend the game.
Isabel Shafer (1-3, 2B),
Eden McAvoy (1-2), and
Taylor Dugger (1-3) each contributed one hit as Parkland outhit the Jaguars, 8-7.
Chayse Ramey (24-3) picked up the win on the mound for the Cobras. She allowed 5 runs (1 earned) on 7 hits and 3 walks, striking out 11.
Game 2: #1 Parkland- 2, #3 Illinois Central- 1 (7 innings)
Illinois Central scored 1 in the first and stranded three baserunners, but the 1-0 lead held through three full innings.
In the bottom of the fourth,
Lauren Kavanagh hit a sacrifice fly, sending
Anna Walker to the plate to tie the game at 1. Walker had drawn a walk and advanced to third on a
Lizzy Davis (1-3) single.
In the bottom of the fifth,
Isabel Shafer (2-2, HR, RBI) hit a solo homer, giving Parkland its first lead of the game, at 2-1, and scoring what would ultimately be the game-winning run.
Chayse Ramey (25-3) won her second game of the day, pitching seven innings and allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks, while striking out a career-high 13 batters.
