East Peoria, Ill. - The Illinois Central College baseball team (19-29, 14-12) was back in the confines of Thome Field on Saturday afternoon, as they took on the (RV) Parkland Cobras in more MWAC action. The Cobras would pull away in segments before a 12-3 win in game one. In the second game, however, Parkland surged ahead right at the end to erase a Cougar seventh inning lead and a 7-4 Cobra victory. 

GAME ONE | (RV) PARKLAND 12, ICC COUGARS 3
Parkland would score first on an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the first. However, the Cougars were unable to get base runners. ICC did break through in the bottom of the third, when a Nick Piazza double was soon followed by a two-run home run from Jake Stewart to give the Cougars a 2-1 lead after three. 

The Cobras responded in a powerful way, though, getting five runs in the top of the fourth, including two home runs, to go back ahead, this time at a 6-2 score. 

Speaking of home runs, the Cougars hit their second long ball of the game, when Noah Campbell sent the bottom of the fourth's first pitch over the left field fence to pull within 6-3 after four. 

Despite the power the ICC lineup was able to provide to this point, Parkland would clamp down. The Cobras would score six unanswered runs the rest of the way to set the final score. 

Perhaps the closest the Cougars would get to the scoreboard again would come in the bottom of the seventh, when Kannon Kleine and Ashton Horchem both drew walks, but were stranded. Kyle Mack and Bryce Bishop were both hit by a pitch in the eighth, but were stranded as well. 

COUGAR HITTING
Jake Stewart | 1 home run, 2 RBI
Noah Campbell | 1 home run, 1 RBI
Kyle Mack | 1 single, 1 hit by pitch
Kannon Kleine | 1 walk
Griffin Roesch | 1 single
Ashton Horchem | 2 singles, 1 walk, 1 stolen base
Nick Piazza | 1 double
Bryce Bishop | 1 hit by pitch

COUGAR PITCHING
Gavin Thompson | 5 innings, 9 hits, 6 earned runs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts
Broker Bailey | 1 inning, 1 hit, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts
Kyle Miller | 2 innings, 4 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts
Ian McGhiey | 1 inning, 2 hits, 2 earned runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts

GAME TWO | (RV) PARKLAND 7, ICC COUGARS 4
Although the Cobras would score first again in game two, the Cougars would eventually take a lead. Ashton Horchem had an RBI double in the second inning to tie the game up at one apiece. 

In the third, after Noah Campbell and Tyler Bishop had advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch, Kannon Kleine got them both home on a two-run single to take a 3-2 lead. 

That lead would get even bigger when Noah Campbell had an RBI single, scoring Ashton Horchem, who'd doubled to start the inning. That make it 4-2 ICC after four innings. 

Parkland would get a solo home run in the fifth, but the lead was still intact. 

In the bottom of the sixth, Bryce Bishop would draw a walk and Noah Campbell would single, but a pair of groundouts followed and stranded them both. 

Into the top of the seventh, Parkland got a solo home run to start the inning, followed by a two-run home run to storm back and, after the Cougars went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Parkland would win the game on that late power surge, 7-4. 

COUGAR HITTING
Ashton Horchem | 2 doubles, 1 RBI
Bryce Bishop | 2 walks
Noah Campbell | 3 singles, 1 RBI, 1 hit by pitch, 1 stolen base
Tyler Bishop | 1 walk
Kyle Mack | 1 walk
Kannon Kleine | 1 single, 2 RBI
Riley McCallister | 1 single, 1 hit by pitch
Nick Piazza | 2 singles, 1 stolen base

COUGAR PITCHING
Gus Lucas | 6 innings, 8 hits, 3 earned runs, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Chase Martin | 2 battters faced, 1 hit, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts
Caleb Diver | 0.2 innings, 1 hit, 2 earned runs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts
Blake Norton | 0.1 innings, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
@ (RV) Parkland Cobras (31-12, 19-7)
Tuesday, April 30th - 1:00 / 4:00 PM
At Rantoul Family Sports Complex