Box Score NORMAL, Ill. – The No. 14 Parkland College Baseball team completed a six-run comeback to defeat No. 5 Heartland Community College 18-10 in seven innings in the NJCAA Division II Central District Championship semifinals on Friday, May 17th. The Cobras (42-13) trailed the Hawks (40-16) by six runs going into the 6th inning – before embarking on an 11-run rally to take the lead – and pouring in six more runs in the top of the 7th to run-rule the tournament hosts and advance to the NJCAA Central District Championship Game. Every Cobra batter scored a run in the win, while freshman infielder Will Applegate (2-4, 4 RBI, 2 R, BB) led the team with four RBI and freshman pitcher Cale Coursey (2-0) picked up the win in relief.
 
Up next, the Cobras resume postseason play tomorrow, May 18th, in the NJCAA Central District Championship Game. First pitch is scheduled for noon on Saturday at the Corn Crib. Parkland will face the winner of Friday night's game between conference rivals Heartland Community College and Illinois Central College.
 
Game 1: No. 14 Parkland College 18, No. 5 Heartland Community College 10 (7 innings)
 
Parkland opened the scoring in the top of the 1st inning, as Luke Parmentier (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, SB) scored on a double play, but Heartland battled back with a bases-clearing double in the 3rd to take a 3-1 lead. The Hawks added three more runs in the bottom of the 4th and walked in a run in the 5th to go up 7-1 before the Cobra comeback began.
 
With the bases loaded in the top of the 6th, second baseman Will Applegate grounded a 2-RBI to the gap to kickstart the comeback, and catcher Charlie Marisca (1-5, 3 RBI, R, SB) lined a 2-RBI single to right field to cut the deficit to 7-5. Ryan Snell (2-3, RBI, 2 R) scored on an error in the next at bat, and Tylor Phommachanhom (1-6, 2B, 2 RBI, R) put Parkland back in front with a 2-RBI double to left field, scoring Marisca and Scott Newman (RBI, R) all before the first out of the inning. Later, Applegate stepped up for the second time in the 6th and grounded another 2-RBI single, and Charlie Marisca capped the 11-run rally by scoring Jacob Filip (2-4, 2 RBI, 3 R) on a fielder's choice – as the Cobras took a 12-7 lead.
 
The Hawks bashed two home runs in the bottom of the 6th to cut it to 12-10, but the visitors stayed hot and scored in four consecutive at bats in the 7th to extend the lead to 16-10. Later in the inning, Parmentier lined a 2-RBI single to left field to go up 18-10 and put the pressure on. Heartland got two men on base in the bottom half – but couldn't extend the game with a run, and Parkland finished off an 18-10 win in seven innings to advance to the championship game.
 
Starting pitcher Sam Bryan (3.0 IP, 1 H, 5 ER, 2 K, 6 BB) tossed 77 pitches in three innings, allowing five earned runs on one hit and six walks before Cale Coursey (2.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, BB) entered the game in the 4th. Freshman Lane Lorton (1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, K, 3 BB) got out of a jam in the 6th and put together a strong outing in relief to close out the win in his 17th appearance of the season.