Parkland High School Baseball

The sun was out on Saturday at The Trojan Sandlot as game time temp was over 80 degrees and it actually felt like baseball weather. With the wind blowing out and the sun beating down the Trojan faithful were treated to a game in which the Home Team missed the extra point but still walked away with a 13-12 victory over perennial powerhouse and a previously unbeaten North Penn squad on a walk off hit in the bottom of the 7th by Jeremy Piatkiewicz. As the score indicates it was a wild one with a couple of lead changes and a lot of traffic on the bases for both teams. CK Kinsley got the nod for the start and took the hill for the Trojans with Ethan Russell behind the plate. Kinsley scattered 10 hits & 6 runs over 4 innings with 5 strikeouts to 1 walk and left the game after 4 with the Trojans leading 9-6. On in relief for the Trojans was Adam Mellinger (1) Collin Duff (1) and Alex Oliver who came on with the score tied 12-12 for the Top of the 7th after Duff was tagged in the ankle by a line drive hit back up the box. Alex Oliver set down the side in order striking out all three batters.

The Trojan Offense got started in the Bot 2 when Jeremy Piatkiewicz lead off with a double and advanced to 3rd on a CK Kinsley single to CF. Joseph Webber stole 2nd as a courtesy runner for Kinsley and Piatkiewicz then scored on a Dylan Miller fielders choice and the Trojans and NPenn were tied at 1 after 1 inning of play. NPenn was able to plate a few more runs in the Top of the 2nd to push the lead to 4-1but in the bottom half of the frame Hani Kitabwalla waled took second on a pitch in the dirt and 3rd on a wild pitch and Ethan Russell then singled him home to close the deficit to 4-2. Russell then took 2nd before Austin Imler came in to pinch run and advanced to 3rd on a ball in the dirt before scoring on a CK Kinsley single to make the score 4-3. Cullan Wadsworth then walked but was LOB. In the Top 3 CK Kinsley fanned 2 batters, however, NPenn pushed across another run to move the lead to 5-3. In the Bot 3 Adam Mellinger led off with a walk followed by a Hani Kitabwalla single & Alex Oliver reaching on a while Adam Mellinger scored to make the score 5-4, as Kitabwalla & Oliver advanced to 3rd & 2nd respectively. CK Kinsley then singled home Kitabwalla to tie the game at 5-5. NPenn then added another run in the Top of the 4th.

The Trojans stormed back and captured the lead in the Bot $ when Dylan Miller led off with a single and Adam Mellinger & Hani Kitabwalla walked to load the bases, an Alex Oliver walk then scored Miller to tie the score at 6-6 and then Mellinger scored on a wild pitch to make the score 7-6 with Kitabwalla and Oliver advancing to 2nd and 3rd and then scoring as CK Kinsley hit a shot to third that came off the lip hitting the third baseman in the lip as Kitabwalla and Oliver scored making it a 9-6 Trojan lead after 4 innings of play. The Top of the 5th saw Adam Mellinger take the mound for the Trojans with NPenn pushing across a pair of runs to make the score 9-8. In the Bot 5 Adam Mellinger was the lone Trojan on the bases after reaching 3rd on an error on a flyball to RF but was LOB. Adam Mellinger was back out to start the 6th, as NPenn plated another pair of runs pushing their lead to 10-9. Collin Duff then came on in relief for Mellinger with a runner on 2nd and no outs as NPenn was able to push across 2 runs to take a 12-9 lead.

The Trojans mounted another rally to tie the score in the Bot 6 when Ethan Russell ROE and Will Algard and CK Kinsley singles loaded the bases. A Cullan Wadsworth fielders choice plated Russell to make the score 12-10 and then Dylan Miller ROE with Will Algard and CK Kinsley scoring on the play to tie the score at 12-12. Alex Oliver took the mound to start the 7th and promptly quieted the bats from North Penn striking out the side and holding the score at 12-12. In the bottom of the 7th the Trojans received their second walk off hit of the season after Hani Kitabwalla walked and advanced to third on a pickoff attempt, Ethan Russell walked and Austin Imler came in to pinch run for him advancing to 2nd on a ball in the dirt. All of this setting the stage with runners on 2nd & 3rd for Jeremy Piatkiewicz to end the game with a walk off single to CF scoring Kitabwalla and securing another Trojan Victory 13-12.