Parkland High School Baseball

The Parkland Trojans traveled to Hostelley Field to face North Penn in a non-conference match up where Connor Higgins pitched a complete game, two-hitter to lead the Parkland Trojans to a 4-1 victory.  Higgins allowed only one run (unearned), walked four, and struck out seven.  North Penn's lone run came in the third inning on a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 North Penn lead.   

The Trojans struggled early at the plate collecting their first hit in the 3rd inning on a Brad Vasilik (1-5) bunt single.  In the 4th inning, the Trojans put together a two-out rally when Hudson Rabenold (1-4, run) singled and Zack Merkle (2-3, double, BB, RBI) doubled to put runners on second and third, but they were left stranded.  The score remained 1-0 in favor of North Penn until the 6th inning where the Trojans again staged another two-out rally, this time with a different outcome.  With two out and the bases empty, Rabenold reached base on a North Penn error and Zack Merkle walked to put runners on first and second.  Gabe Mosser (2-4,  2 RBI) then delivered a cluth single to score Parkland's first run and tie the game at 1-1.  Parkland threatened for more in the 6th when the next batter walked to load the bases, but the inning ended with three more Parkland base runners stranded.

With the score still tied going into the 7th inning, Justin Afflerbach (1-3, run) led off the inning with a single.  A sacrifice bunt by Damin Muth put Afflerbach into scoring position at second base.  After a walk to Tyler Graeff (0-1, 3 BB), Chris Rabasco (1-4, run, RBI) delivered the game-winning RBI base hit to score Afflerbach and give the Trojans a 2-1 lead. The Trojans were not done, however. Another North Penn error loaded the bases for the Trojans again. Merkle singled to drive in a run to incease Parkland's lead to 3-1. Mosser then followed with another RBI base hit for another Parkland insurance run and a 4-1 lead.

Higgins would make the lead stick.   Although North Penn's lead off hitter in the bottom of the 7th inning drove a double deep into the right center gap, Higgins struck out the next two batters. A walk then put North Penn runners on first and second, but Higgins sealed the victory for the Trojans by striking out the next batter for the final out.