East Peoria, IL - A chilly day coupled with a brisk wind still brought a quality crowd out to Eastside Centre on Sunday afternoon to see the Illinois Central College Softball team (13-18) battle against the #24-ranked Parkland Cobras (23-9) in Region 24 action. The entirety of the doubleheader would favor the bats, with Parkland taking an extra-innings thriller 8-7 in the opener before also taking the second game by an 11-8 final score. 

#24 PARKLAND 8, ILLINOIS CENTRAL 7 (8 inn.)
The Cougars got behind 6-0 in the third inning, but didn't back down from there. In fact, they got them all back on one swing. After a Courtney Campbell walk, Nivarra Oredina single, and Kelsey Bartels single led off the inning, Kayleigh Harr sent a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence for a grand slam to suddenly make it a two-run game. 

A mid-game pitcher's duel would ensue, with no runs on the board until the sixth inning. The Cougars would take a late lead on a two-run triple from Bartels and Bartels scoring on a passed ball, making it 7-6 Cougars with three defensive outs to get for the Top 25 victory. 

Parkland wasn't done, though. A bases-loaded walk tied the game and forced a bottom of the seventh. In that half, the Cougars got a runner on, and on a defensive error at third, thought they'd walked it off. Unfortunately, the plate was missed on the run home and the Cobras appealed, keeping the game tied at seven runs apiece. In the top of the eighth, the Cobras got a first-batter solo home run to set the final score.

Looking for redemption, ICC put themselves in that position thanks to singles from Marlee Brown and Oredina, plus a fielder's choice that Bartels would reach on making it runners on the corners with two outs. Alas, with the walkoff run on first and the game-tying run on third, a groundout would end the game with a one-run Cobra winner.

COUGAR HITTING
Nivarra Oredina (SS) | 2 singles, 2 walks
Kelsey Bartels (2B) | 1 single, 1 triple, 2 RBI, 1 walk
Kayleigh Harr (3B) | 1 double, 1 grand slam, 4 RBI
Bailey Herrick (DP) | 1 double
Cassidee Bauer (C) | 1 single
Olivia Strawn (RF) | 1 single, 1 double
Alaina Creamer (1B) | 1 single
Marlee Brown | 1 single

COUGAR PITCHING
Broghan Hall (L) | 8 innings, 16 hits, 7 earned runs, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts

#24 PARKLAND 11, ILLINOIS CENTRAL 8
The second game of the day somehow found a way to out-do the first in terms of offensive capabilities of both teams. Parkland would hit a pair of two-run home runs in the first to take an early 4-0 lead. ICC would respond with a two-run double from Bailey Herrick and a two-run error with Marlee Brown at the plate, scoring Herrick and Graci Guenther (who'd singled). That was just the first inning, with the game tied 4-4. 

The Cobras would take the lead back, using a solo home run, RBI double, and two-run single to pull ahead 9-4 in the third. ICC's response was on the first pitch of the next half inning, with Herrick hitting a no-doubter over the left field fence and up the hill at Eastside Centre for a 9-5 margin. 

It would be more power from the Cougars in the fourth. After Reagan Linder led off with a single and Courtney Campbell followed with a double, Nivarra Oredina sent them all home with a three-run home run to make it a one-run game at 9-8 Parkland. 

However, for two innings, neither team could get runs on the board.

It would be in the top of the seventh that an RBI double and RBI sacrifice fly by the Cobras would give them the extra run support they needed and setting the final score. The Cougars would go 1-2-3 in the bottom half to end the game. 

COUGAR HITTING
Nivarra Oredina (SS) | 2 singles, 1 home run, 3 RBI
Kayleigh Harr (3B) | 1 walk, 1 stolen base
Bailey Herrick | 1 double, 1 home run, 3 RBI
Graci Guenther (C) | 1 single, 1 stolen base
Reagan Linder (2B) | 1 single
Courtney Campbell (CF) | 1 double

COUGAR PITCHING
Emily Compton (L) | 2 innings, 6 hits, 7 earned runs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts
Bailey Herrick | 4 innings, 3 hits, 0 earned runs, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Morgan Kessler | 1 inning, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
vs. Lewis & Clark Trailblazers (2-16)
Tuesday, April 8th - 3:00 PM (DH)
at Thome Field - East Peoria, IL
Watch Live (AWRE TV)
Live Stats (GameChanger; "Illinois Central College 2025")