Needing just one more win to secure a spot in the MAIS South 5A semifinals, Parklane’s baseball team fell in Game Two but picked up a 5-4 win in Game Three against Cathedral on Friday.
The third-seeded Pioneers (15-16, 6-9) run-ruled the Green Wave on Tuesday but found themselves in a more challenging position on the road.
Cathedral took the first game of the double-header by a score of 9-6. Parklane head coach Robert Young attributed a handful of costly errors and some struggles at the plate as the reasons why his team faltered.
Thus, the series came down to a win-or-go-home Game Three, with the Green Wave riding the tide of their momentum from the earlier matchup.
In need of some tone-changing plays, the Pioneer offense provided a spark. Parklane out-hit Cathedral 11 to two in the second game, and Young’s team committed zero errors on top of that.
The head coach also noted that senior George Glass finished strong on the mound in Game Three.
“I’m just really proud of this group, because we’re playing just six upperclassmen and a lot of young guys around them,” Young said. “They’re playing well and they’re gaining playoff experience for the future.”
The playoff-series win is the first for the Parklane program since 2018, which is a team that just so happened to feature assistant coach Brandon Drury on it as well.
Up next, the Pioneers face top-seeded Oak Forest in the semifinals of the MAIS South 5A playoff for a best-of-three series. Game One is likely to be set for 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday at Parklane.
