East Peoria, IL - The Illinois Central College Baseball team (14-39, 9-23) returned home to Thome Field on Saturday to conclude its regular season by hosting the Parkland Cobras (32-17, 21-11) in the final two games of their MWAC series. It was a pair of very close games, with the Cobras able to find the run column just a few more times and take both games, winning 4-2 and 8-7 to take the series, 4-0. 

GAME ONE | PARKLAND 4, ILLINOIS CENTRAL 2
The Cougars nearly struck right away, getting a Kaiden Lucero single, Ryan Brucker reaching on an error, and Jayden Malone drawing a walk to load the bases with just one out in the first. However, a couple strikeouts would follow and keep the game scoreless. 

It was another promising inning in the second, with an Ethan Krutke single, Jake Stewart walk, and Thomas Krueger walk loading the bases, this time with two outs. A groundout, though, ended the inning. 

Parkland actually wouldn't get a base runner in this game until the third inning, as Mason Lynch had retired the first six he faced. The Cobras would load the bases in that third without a hit, using a couple walks and a hit by pitch, but a fielder's choice still had the game without any runs through three full innings, as ICC went 1-2-3 in the bottom half. 

One side would eventually break through, and it was Parkland, getting a run to score amid a double play in the top of the fourth for a 1-0 advantage. The Cougars saw a good response inning, getting a Lucero RBI groundout and Krueger RBI single on successive at bats for a 2-1 lead of their own. 

ICC's defense would return to its stage of allowing a few base runners, just not letting them cross the plate. There would be a breakthrough in the sixth inning, with Parkland getting a run to score on an error to tie it back up at two runs apiece headed into the seventh inning. 

Neither team would score in the seventh, but Parkland slipped in front on a two-out RBI single in the eighth for a 3-2 lead. A walk on the next plate appearance would load the bases, and that would be followed by an RBI hit by pitch to get a small two-run cushion. 

The Cougars nearly made a run at it with the game on the line, with a leadoff single from Chris Casey, walk from Ethan Krutke, and Stewart reaching on an error, the bases were loaded with just one out in a two-run game. Alas, a pop out and ground out would follow and the Cobras took the first game of the day. 

COUGAR HITTING
Kaiden Lucero | 1 single, 1 RBI
Thomas Kruger | 1 single, 1 RBI, 1 walk
Ryan Brucker | 1 single, 1 walk
Jayden Malone | 1 walk
Chris Casey | 1 single
Ethan Krutke | 1 single, 1 walk
Jake Stewart | 1 single, 2 walks
Nate Bartman | 1 double

COUGAR PITCHING
Mason Lynch | 4 innings, 1 hit, 0 earned runs, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Spencer Timm | 4 innings, 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts

GAME TWO | PARKLAND 8, ILLINOIS CENTRAL 7
While it may have seemed that this game was going down the same path after both teams were unable to score in the first, it would not be that way after all. Parkland exploded for a big five-run second inning, doing so via a pair of RBI groundouts, a pair of RBI singles, and a passed ball. 

Akin to the first game, the Cougars responded, with Tate Hall scoring on a wild pitch, a Kaiden Lucero RBI walk, and a Jace Easley RBI sacrifice fly cutting the margin to just two runs at 5-3 through two innings. 

The Cobras went ahead three runs again when an RBI groundout made it 6-3 in the next half inning. 

The see-saw affair would continue, with an RBI sacrifice fly from David Ripke pulling the score back to two runs at 6-4. Key to keeping the game close, the Cougars kept Parkland scoreless in the fourth, and turned around to get a bases-loaded walk from Kyle Binder to make it a 6-5 game. 

Parkland answered back, getting a sacrifice fly to go back up two in the fifth, but this time was different. The lead would swell to 8-5 in the sixth on a sacrifice fly. 

The Cougars did score twice more. Jayden Malone touched home on a fielder's choice in the sixth. In the bottom of the seventh, once again with the game on the line, ICC fought to the finish. Singles from Lucero and Easley, plus a Malone walk all loaded the bases with just one out. 

On a flyout, Lucero would score, but it was also a 7-2-5-6-5 double play between the Cobra left fielder and left side of the infield to make sure a second run didn't score and securing the one-run win. 

COUGAR HITTING
Kaiden Lucero | 1 single, 1 RBI, 3 walks, 1 stolen base
Jace Easley | 1 single, 1 RBI, 1 walk
Chris Casey | 2 walks
Jayden Malone | 3 walks
Kyle Binder | 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 walk
Colton Williams | 1 RBI
Tate Hall | 1 RBI, 1 walk, 1 stolen base
David Ripke | 1 single, 1 RBI, 1 walk
Elliot Seckman | 3 walks, 1 stolen base
Parker Bellamy | 1 walk

COUGAR PITCHING
Cam Clifton | 1.2 innings, 5 hits, 4 earned runs, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts
Wyatt Jacek | 0.1 innings, 0 hits, 1 earned run, 3 walks, 1 strikeout
Brett Granger | 3 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Tyler Sabodor | 2 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
Region 24 Tournament 
Dates/Times/Locations TBA