Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NORMAL, Ill. – The No. 1 Parkland College Softball team closed out an 8-game road trip with two wins at conference-rival Heartland Community College on Monday, April 8th. The Cobras (39-3) (12-0) cruised past the Hawks (16-17) (3-4) in five innings in a 15-1 game-one win before grinding out a 4-1 win in game two. Karley Yergler (20-2) struck out seven in her 20th win this year, and Ellie Vetter (13-1) pitched a complete game to lift Parkland to its 32nd straight win.
 
Up next, the Cobras welcome Lewis & Clark Community College to Champaign on Saturday, April 13th, for a conference doubleheader. First pitch against the Trailblazers (2-17) (1-9) is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at the Parkland College Softball Field.
 
Game 1: No. 1 Parkland College 15, Heartland Community College 1 (5 innings)
 
An early triple turned inside-the-park home run from Alisha Frederick (2-4, 3B, 2 R) opened the scoring in the top of the 1st before Karley Yergler (1-3, 3 RBI, R) crushed a 3-run home run, and the Cobras took a 4-0 lead. Parkland popped in two more runs and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the 2nd inning – and, in the 3rd, Lexie Griffin (2-4, HR, RBI, R) homered and Mia Ruder (2-4, RBI, R) drove in Ryleigh Owens (3-3, 3B, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R) to extend the lead to eight.
 
Shortstop Lizzie Stiverson (3-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R) smacked a solo home run in the 4th – and a 2-run homer in the 5th as the Cobras took a 15-0 lead, and the Hawks scored in the bottom of the 5th as Parkland took game one 15-1 in five innings.
 
Yergler (3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 7 K, 2 BB) punched out seven of the nine outs she got in her 19th start before Ryleigh Owens (2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 K) closed the game in the circle.
 
Game 2: No. 1 Parkland College 4, Heartland CC 1
 
Freshman Alisha Frederick began her second straight game with a triple – and Emma Mason (2-4, RBI) drove her in with an RBI single to put Parkland up 1-0 in the top of the 1st inning. Heartland got a runner in scoring position in the bottom half, but both defenses settled in as the Hawks kept things close.
 
In the 7th, Frederick (2-3, 2 3B, RBI, R) lifted a sacrifice fly to score Ryleigh Owens (1-3, R), and Lizzie Stiverson (1-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB) busted the game open with a 2-run home run, her 8th of the year, lifting the Cobras to a 4-0 lead. The Hawks got on the board with a solo shot in the bottom of the 7th, but the Cobras rolled to a 4-1 win.
 
Sophomore starter Ellie Vetter (7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 13 K, BB) struck out a season-high 13 batters in her longest start of the year, winning her 11th consecutive decision.