Parkland High School Baseball

If it were not for the newly instituted pitch count rules this year Ryan Giovenco would likely have gone the distance for the Trojans on Tuesday night at Sammy Balliet Stadium in Coplay. As it turned out AJ Palumbo had the Trojans and Giovenco’s back as he came in with 2 runners on and a 3-2 Trojan lead in the balance and got the final Central Catholic hitter to pop out to first baseman Matt Mellinger in the bottom of the 7th shutting the door on a come from behind rally attempt by the Vikings. Giovenco finished his day with 6 strikeouts going 6 2/3 for Parkland.

Offensively for the Trojans the first 3 inning were uneventful with the exception of a Matt Mellinger double in the second and also a CK Kinsley single in the third. The Top of the 4th saw the Trojans put their first run on the board afte a Matt Mellinger triple to CF, a Ethan Imler walk and a single to LF by Dylan Miller. Giovenco and the Trojans retired the side in order in the Bottom of the 4th. Austin Mueller was the lone Trojan to reach base in the Top 5 after drawing a walk. The Bot 5 saw the Vikings threaten but Giovenco and the Trojans held and after 5 innings led 1-0. Ethan Imler singled in the sixth as the only Trojan to reach base and the Trojans and Giovenco worked around a single in the Bottom of the 6th to still hold the lead 1-0.

The Top of 7 saw the type of Selfless inning as a lineup that will take this Trojan Squad a long way if continually repeated as Will Algard walked and was moved to 2nd on a CK Kinsley sac bunt, Austin Mueller then singled and Mike Jenkins and Cullan Wadsworth were both HBP’s and then a Matt Mellinger walk hafd led to a 3-0 Trojan lead. It would turn out that the insurance runs in the top of the inning were needed as Central mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh but after scoring two and Giovenco and the Trojans getting the first two outs of the inning. AJ Palumbo came in and got the final out with runners on first and second, preserving the 3-2 Trojan win.