RANTOUL, Ill. – The No. 20 Parkland College Baseball team took down Carl Sandberg College twice in a two-game series on Tuesday, March 12th, winning 18-8 in five innings in both games of the doubleheader at the Rantoul Sports Complex. The Cobras (9-5) exploded for 36 runs on 30 hits versus the Chargers (1-7), racking up 18 extra-base hits, including nine home runs in the series sweep. Freshman pitcher Lane Lorton (1-0) and sophomore Hunter Pudlo (1-0) each picked up their first wins of the season, while sophomore Will Flanigan went deep in both games on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Up next, Parkland begins conference play on Friday, March 15th, with a doubleheader versus No. 9 Heartland Community College. First pitch versus the Hawks (10-5) is scheduled for noon at the Rantoul Sports Complex.
 
No. 20 Parkland College 18, Carl Sandberg College 8 (5 innings)
 
The Cobras trailed early after a solo home run in the top of the 1st inning, but the team drove in three in the bottom half to take a 3-1 lead into the 2nd. The Chargers knocked in four runs to retake the lead – but the Cobras answered again in the bottom of the 2nd, as Andrew Gallegos (3-4, HR, 2B, RBI, 2 R) smacked a solo home run, Charlie Marisca lined a 2-RBI single into right field, and Tylor Phommachanhom (2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R) drove in Marisca (2-2, 4 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB) to put Parkland up 7-5 midway through the game.
 
Carl Sandberg tied things back up with a 2-RBI double in the 3rd – and the Chargers regained an 8-7 lead in the 4th, but the Cobras countered with an 11-run rally in the bottom of the 4th that featured 16 plate appearances and home runs from Will Flanigan (1-2, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, BB) and RBI-leader Will Applegate (2-2, HR, 6 RBI, R), and Parkland polished off an 18-8 win in five innings.
 
Freshman Alex McHale (2.2 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 5 K, 2 BB) made the start on Tuesday, striking out five in 2 and 2/3 innings before being replaced by Lane Lorton (2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 4 K, 4 BB) in the 3rd. Offensively, all nine batters scored, and six players recorded multiple runs in the win.
 
No. 20 Parkland College 18, Carl Sandberg College 8 (5 innings)
 
Carl Sandberg opened the scoring again in game two, taking a 2-0 lead on another 1st inning home run, and Parkland followed suit by responding in the bottom half, as center fielder Scott Newman and first baseman Luke Parmentier (1-2, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB) crushed home runs and the Cobras led 4-2 heading into the 2nd. The Chargers got a run back before Newman (2-5, HR, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R) lined an RBI triple up the first-base line, Will Flanigan (3-4, HR, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 2 R, BB) drove a 3-run home run over the centerfield fence, and Adison Worthman (4-4, HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, SB) lifted an RBI single to left field to put the Cobras up 9-3 in the bottom of the 2nd.
 
The Chargers scored three runs in the 3rd inning and two in the 4th to cut the deficit to 9-8, but the Cobra offense woke up in the bottom of the 4th, taking a 14-8 lead on back-to-back home runs from sophomores Tylor Phommachanhom (1-3, HR, 3 RBI) and Noah Johnson (1-2, HR, RBI, 3 R, 2 BB), and Parkland piled on four more runs in the bottom of the 5th to run-rule Carl Sandberg 18-8 and finish off the series sweep.
 
On the mound, freshman Cale Coursey (2.2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 6 K, 3 BB) struck out six of the 18 batters he faced in his first career start. Sophomore Hunter Pudlo (1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 K, 2 BB) entered the game in the 3rd, earning his first career win in relief, and Freddie Elftmann (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, K) pitched a shutout 5th inning in the win.