Champaign, Ill. - The Illinois Central College softball team left it all out on the field but fell to Parkland in the Central District Championship games, losing 2-1, 7-0 on Saturday at Dodds Athletic Complex.

In the opener, the Cougars battled behind Region 24 Player of the Year Meadow Terry's pitching performance but came up just short, forcing the teams to go to the "if necessary" game. In the finale, PC held a 1-0 lead until the fifth when they broke through to score five runs for the win.

ICC, now 32-16 and ranked #18 in the final NJCAA DII poll, will await Tuesday's NJCAA Selection Show to see if they get an at-large bid. 

GAME 2: Parkland 7, Illinois Central 0
The Cougars got off to a good start defensively, completing a double play in the top of the first. Laila Harris and Samantha Verstraete both singled in the bottom half but Parkland kept ICC off the board. 

Parkland scored their first run on a double and single for a 1-0 lead in the third inning. In the fifth, four singles and two errors helped Parkland to a 6-0 advantage. They added another run in the sixth for the final margin. 

Harris and Verstraete each had a double and recorded two hits apiece. 

Starting pitcher Kennedy Cleeton went 4 1/3, scattering six hits and giving up four runs while striking out three.

GAME 2 HITTING
Laila Harris | 2-4, double
Samantha Verstraete | 2-2, double
Danni Neppl | 1-3

GAME 2 PITCHING
Kennedy Cleeton | 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 K
Samantha Verstraete | 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R
Meadow Terry | 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K

GAME 1: Parkland 2, Illinois Central 1
The game was scoreless until the top of the sixth when the Cobras used three doubles to plate their two runs for a 2-0 lead.

Terry led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run to left field to cut PC's lead to 2-1. Cassidee Bauer drew a one-out walk but the Cobras got out of the inning and the game on a double play. 

Terry scattered six hits, two earned runs, and struck out five.

For the game, the Cougars had five hits with two coming from Terry, and one each from Bailey Herrick and Kaitlyn Atkinson.

GAME 1 HITTING
Meadow Terry | 2-2, home run, RBI

GAME 1 PITCHING
Meadow Terry | 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 K

OTHER:
Congratulations to sophomore Meadow Terry, who was named the Region 24 Player of the Year. 

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
NJCAA DII World Series Selection Show
Tuesday, May 12
Time TBA