After inclement weather delayed Thursday’s action, Parklane took a 4-1 lead into its Game Two matchup with Oak Forest on Friday, in need of a road sweep to keep its season alive.
And the third-seeded Pioneers did just that, maintaining their momentum from the previous night and dominating the top-seeded Yellow Jackets in 6-3 and 4-0 wins.
“I just knew that if we could keep the pressure on them, we could hold on to the lead,” head coach Robert Young said. “Collin [Smith] was able to come back in and pitch thanks to the rain delay, and CJ [Wall] got us two of the final outs before George made a catch in the outfield.”
That duo of Smith and Wall held off any form of a rally in Game Two, but in Game Three, it was a different Parklane arm that saved the day.
Senior George Glass had only pitched seven innings all season, but when his team needed him to step up when the lights were brightest, he more than delivered.
Glass pitched the length of the game, allowing only two hits on his way to securing a shutout and crucial win that kept the Pioneers’ season alive.
“He threw 72 pitches and just really kept them off-balance the whole time,” Young said. “And offensively we didn’t wow anybody, but we manufactured runs and took bases when we had the opportunities. In the end, the boys just wanted it.”
Young added that Glass never wavered in his training despite the lack of true game time, something that his head coach certainly took note of.
“He’s a very intelligent kid and really works in the bullpen,” Young said of Glass. “I kept telling him that his time was coming, and he went out and took it. It’s a great example of working while you wait.”
The Pioneers now move on to face second-seeded Columbia Academy in the MAIS South 5A Championship series next week.
“We challenged them last week with bringing Parklane baseball back on track, and the seniors don’t want to leave with it halfway built,” Young said. “They [Columbia} have a really good baseball team, but the beautiful thing is that we also have a really good baseball team.”
