Parkland High School Baseball

Connor Higgins pitched a four-hit, complete game shutout to lead the Parkland Trojans to a 2-0 victory over Easton.  Higgins struck out eleven and walked one as he scattered four hits, all singles, in his seven innings of work.  Easton never mounted a scoring threat as Higgins was in command the entire game.  After allowing a one-out single in the 4th inning, Higgins proceeded to retire the next eleven batters in a row to end the game, including striking out six batters in a row after that Easton base hit. 

Parkland took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning when Justin Afflerbach (0-1, 2 sac bunt, BB, R) reached base on a walk and Tyler Bruno (1-3, 2B, RBI) then doubled to right field to plate Afflerbach.  The game remained 1-0 through five innings of play even though the Trojans put runners in scoring position in both the 2nd and 5th innings.  Evan McAndrew (2-3) led off the 2nd inning with a single and advanced to second base on a Andrew Roth (1-2, sac bunt, RBI) sacrifice bunt.  McAndrew was stranded on base.  In the 5th, Jeff Strisovsky (2-4) led off the inning with a single and he advanced to second base on sacrifice bunt by Afflerbach, but he too would be stranded.  Chris Rabasco (1-4) added a one-out single in the 3rd inning.

In the top of the 6th with the score still at 1-0, Rhett Jacoby (0-1, 2 BB) led off with a walk and then stole second base.  Cullan Wadsworth (1-3, 2B, R) then doubled to right-center, but pinch runner EJ Brandt was tagged out at the plate to keep the score at 1-0 in favor of Parkland.   Wadsworth then advanced to third base on a ground out and with two outs in the inning, Roth hit a single down the third base line for the clutch RBI single to give the Trojans an important insurance run.  Despite the comfort of the extra run, Higgins didn't need it as he set down Easton batters in order in both the 6th and 7th innings to complete the 2-0 shutout.