Parkland High School Baseball

The Parkland Trojans opened 2014 LVC conference play today with a dominant 9-0 win over visiting Nazareth.  While the Parkland bats collected 10 hits, including 5 doubles and 2 homeruns, Parkland pitchers shutout the Blue Eagles allowing only 4 hits while striking out 10 Nazareth batters.  The Trojans improved their early season record to 2-0.

Parkland grabbed the lead early scoring two runs in the bottom of the 1st inning.  Justin Afflerbach (1-for-3, run) and Chris Rabasco (2-for-2, 2B, BB, run) hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with one out.  While Afflerbach would later score on a wild pitch for the first run of the game, Zach Merkle (1-for-2, 2B, HBP, RBI) hit an RBI double to give the Trojans the 2-0 lead after one inning of play.   The score remained 2-0 until the 4th inning when Alex Flynn (1-for-2, 2B, BB, RBI, 2 runs) led off with a double.   After a Zach Miiller (2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 runs) bunt single to put runners on the corners, Rhett Jacoby (1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, run) drilled a double to the left-center gap to clear the bases to give Parkland the 4-0 lead. Brad Vasilik (1-for-3, 2B, RBI) doubled to plate another run to make it 5-0.

Rabasco led off the bottom of the 5th inning with a double and would later score on a Flynn RBI fielder's choice for the 6-0 Parkland lead.  The next three Parkland runs came off the long ball.   In the 5th, Miiller hit his first career varsity homerun with a 2-run shot on a ball driven deep down the left field line.  In the 6th inning, sophomore pinch hitter Tyler Bruno (1-for-1, HR, RBI, run) collected his first career varsity base hit with a solo homerun to right field. 

Starting pitcher Gabe Mosser cruised through 5 innings of work, striking out nine and allowed only 2 hits and one walk.  Mosser did not allow a runner past second base and had three innings where he retired Nazareth batters in order.  Reliever Jacoby pitched the final two innings of play, allowing 2 hits with one walk while striking out one.