Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 1 Parkland College Softball team is just one win away from the NJCAA Division II National Tournament after going 2-0 on day one of the NJCAA DII Central District Championship, defeating No. 16 Spoon River College and Danville Area Community College at home on Friday, May 10th. The Cobras (56-4) held on to an early lead to take game one 3-2 over the Snappers (42-19), and Parkland sophomore Lexie Griffin launched a walk-off 2-run home run to lift the Cobras past the Jaguars (34-14) 7-5 in the bottom of the 9th in game two.
 
Up next, the Cobras will play in the NJCAA DII Central District Championship game tomorrow, May 11th, at 1:15 p.m. Parkland will face the winner of the 11:00 a.m. game on Saturday.
 
Game 1: No. 1 Parkland College 3, No. 16 Spoon River College 2
 
Parkland got on the board in the top of the 1st inning on an RBI single from Lizzie Stiverson (2-3, RBI), and the Cobras added to their lead with a solo home run by Alisha Frederick (2-4, HR) in the 3rd to go up 2-0. Spoon River cut into the deficit with a solo homer in the bottom of the 4th, but Parkland countered quickly, as Addie Wallace (2-3, RBI) lined an RBI single to left field, scoring Ryleigh Owens (2-3, R). The Snappers fought back late, lifting another solo home run in the bottom of the 7th, but the Cobras closed out the 3-2 win to advance.
 
Sophomore starter Karley Yergler (29-2) allowed one earned run on four hits and two walks in four innings in game one, striking out five. Ellie Vetter (3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 5 K) finished the game in the circle, striking out five in three innings to earn her first save of the season.
 
Game 2: No. 1 Parkland College 7, Danville Area Community College 5 (9 innings)
 
The Cobras put together an early 2-out rally in the bottom of the 1st inning in game two, taking the lead on an RBI double from Emma Mason (2-5, 2B, RBI, R) before Karley Yergler lifted a 2-run home run out to center field. The Jaguars battled back in the 4th with a 3-run game-tying home run, and DACC took a late 5-3 lead in the top of the 6th on a 2-RBI double. Parkland rallied in the bottom of the 7th thanks to solo home runs from Lizzie Stiverson (1-5, HR) and Yergler (2-3, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB), her second of the day, to send the game into extra innings tied 5-5.
 
Neither offense threatened to score in the 8th, but the Jaguars put runners on the corners with one out in the top of the 9th, and sophomore pitcher Ellie Vetter (20-2) got out of the jam with a line out and a ground out to keep the game tied. In the bottom of the 9th, Yergler walked with one out before sophomore catcher Lexie Griffin (1-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB) crushed a game-winning walk-off home run to center field, giving Parkland the 7-5 win in extra innings.
 
Yergler (4.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 4 K, BB) tossed 65 pitches in four innings in her second start of the day, handing the ball to Ryleigh Owens (2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, K, BB) in the 5th. Vetter (3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER) entered the game in the 7th, pitching three scoreless innings to earn the win.