Parkland High School Baseball

For the past two seasons, May 25 has not been a good day for the Parkland baseball team.  In 2011 and 2012, that date saw the Trojans' season end with losses in district playoffs.  Last year was particularly bitter as they had a 4-3 lead against Pocono Mountain East in the 7th inning, but the lead slipped away in the night fog as did the season.  Today was a new day for the Trojans as they faced Pocono Mountain East again, this time in the District XI semifinal.  This time the Trojans took an early lead and never looked back on way to 3-0 victory.  Parkland will now play for the District XI championship on Wednesday night at Coca-Cola Park against Whitehall.

Parkland was led by pitcher Gabe Mosser who worked six innings of shutout baseball, scattering six hits with four walks and five strikeouts.  Mosser worked out of a first inning jam that saw PME put two runners on base before Mosser got two strikeouts to end any threat.  In the 5th inning, Mosser worked out of a bases loaded jam.  Mosser was also helped by Parkland's defense that turned three double plays, including one that resulted from a runner interference call.  Connor Higgins worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning with one strikeout for his first varsity save. 

Parkland took a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning when Chris Rabasco (1-3, run) and Adam Schneck (1-3, run) hit back-to-back singles with one out in the inning.  After both runners advanced on a flyout, Jordan Jones (1-3, 2 RBI) drove both runners home with a single.  The score would remain 2-0 until the 5th inning when Zack Merkle (1-3, HR, run, RBI) hit a solo homerun over the left-center fence to increase Parkland's lead to 3-0.  In the 6th innings, singles by Damin Muth (1-2, BB) and Tyler Graeff (1-3) helped the Trojans load the bases with one out and threaten for more runs, but all three runners would be stranded.  Brad Vasilik (1-4) added a single to round out Parkland's offense.