Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 15 Parkland College Baseball team advanced to the NJCAA Central District Championship with back-to-back wins versus Lewis & Clark Community College in the NJCAA Division II Region 24 Tournament on Saturday, May 11th. The Cobras (40-13) began their day with a convincing 8-4 win in game one against the Trailblazers (29-30), and Parkland powered past Lewis & Clark CC 9-6 in game two to win the NJCAA Region 24 Pool B. Sophomore Luke Parmentier led the way with four RBI in game one – and freshman Adison Worthman drove in five in game two to lead the Cobras, matching a career-high. Sophomore pitchers Jaxon Christensen (3-4) and John Cederberg (3-0) picked up wins on the mound as Parkland keeps its postseason run alive.
 
Up next, Parkland continues postseason play in the NJCAA Central District Championship on Thursday, May 16th, hosted by Heartland Community College at the Corn Crib in Normal, Illinois. Game times and opponents are still to be determined.
 
Game 1: No. 15 Parkland College 8, Lewis & Clark Community College 4
 
Lewis & Clark got on the board first in the bottom of the 2nd inning, scoring on a ground out, but Parkland answered quickly in the 3rd with a 2-RBI double by Luke Parmentier, and Parmentier scored on a Will Flanigan (RBI, BB) sac fly to give the Cobras a 3-1 lead. Parkland added to it in the 5th inning on a Tylor Phommachanhom sacrifice fly, and Parmentier scored from first base on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 5-1.
 
In the top of the 7th, sophomore Luke Parmentier (2-4, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R, BB) added to his career game by launching a 2-run home run to left field, his 11th homer of the season – and Adison Worthman scored Phommachanhom (1-4, RBI, R) with a sacrifice fly to put Parkland up 8-1. The Trailblazers rallied for three runs in the bottom of the 9th, but it was too little too late as the Cobras wrapped up an 8-4 win in game one.
 
Sophomore Jaxon Christensen (7.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 4 BB) faced 28 batters in his 10th start of the year, allowing just one earned run before freshman Lane Lorton (1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 K, 2 BB) entered in the 8th to finish the job.
 
Game 2: No. 15 Parkland College 9, Lewis & Clark Community College 6
 
The Cobras opened the scoring in the top of the 1st inning on an Adison Worthman sacrifice fly, scoring Tylor Phommachanhom (R, BB), and Charlie Marisca (1-3, RBI, R, BB) ripped an RBI single to left field to take a 2-0 lead. The Trailblazers fought back in the bottom of the 3rd, tying the game at 2-2, and a 2-run home run in the 4th put Lewis & Clark in front 4-2. The visitors added to their lead with a run in the 6th, but a clutch 2-out grand slam from Worthman (1-4, HR, 5 RBI, R) in the top of the 7th, his sixth homer of the year, put the Cobras back on top 6-5.
 
In the top of the 8th, Parkland added to the lead with a Scott Newman (1-3, RBI, R, 2 BB) RBI single, scoring Jax Hisle (1-3, R), and the Cobras drove in two more insurance runs in the 9th to extend the lead to 9-5. Lewis & Clark knocked in one run in the bottom of the 9th - but couldn't rally as Parkland earned a 9-6 win in the Region 24 Pool B Championship Game.
 
Freshman starting pitcher Gavin Parkerson (4.0 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 5 K, 2 BB) allowed four earned runs on two hits and two walks, striking out five in his eighth start of the season. Sophomore reliever John Cederberg (2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, K, 2 BB) took over in the fifth, earning the win with two solid innings, and freshman Mike Boyce (3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 K, 3 BB) picked up the save on the mound.