Parkland High School Baseball

The Parkland Trojans beat Emmaus in a blow out 9-0 victory to win the 2014 Lehigh Valley Conference Championship at Hackett Park in Easton.  This is the fifth conference championship for head coach Tony Galucy, who is in his 12th year leading the Trojan baseball program.  The Trojans put together their best overall team performance of the season when it counted most.  The offense collected a total of nine hits along with six base-on-balls, the defense played errorless ball, and the pitching was absolutely dominant. 

Senior pitcher Gabe Mosser went the distance in a complete game shutout against an Emmaus team that is tops offensively in the LVC.  Mosser scattered five hits, all singles, along with one walk.  Mosser struck out 13 batters, including striking out the side in order in the bottom of the 7th inning to put an exclamation point on his performance.  After allowing a lead off hit in the 1st inning to start the game, Mosser proceeded to retire 14 of the next 15 batters with only one of those batters reaching base on a 3rd inning walk. 

The game was scoreless after two innings of play.  Justin Afflerbach led off the 3rd inning with a walk.  After Afflerbach advanced to second base on a fielder's choice groundout, Jeff Strisovsky (2-for-3, BB, RBI, 2 runs) hit a line drive up the middle for an RBI single and give the Trojans the 1-0 lead.  Parkland then broke open the game with a 5-run 5th inning, taking advantage of Emmaus' pitching control problems.  Brad Vasilik got it started with a lead off walk and then advanced to second base on an Afflerbach sacrifice bunt.  Walks to Alex Flynn (2-for-3, BB, 2 runs) and Strisovsky loaded the bases for Chris Rabasco (1-for-3, 3B, BB, 3 RBI, 2 runs) who also walked to collect an RBI and put Parkland up 2-0.  Zach Miiller (1-for-2, 2B, BB, HBP, run, 2 RBI) then bounced a ball over the drawn-in infield for a double and two RBI's.  Zach Merkle (1-for-3, sac bunt, 3 RBI) then hit a 2-RBI single to put Parkland up by a score of 6-0.

Parkand added three more runs in the 7th inning when the first four batters of the inning reached base.  Flynn and Strisovsky hit back-to-back singles, then Rabasco drove a ball to the wall in right-center for a 2-RBI triple.  After a walk to Miiller, Merkle plated another run with the RBI fielder's choice groundout.  Designated hitter Hudson Rabenold added two hits going 2-for-4.