Parkland High School Baseball

The Parkland Trojans ended a long week (winning four out of five games) with a win against Pleasant Valley by a score of 4-2. Next week will be much of the same with another 5-game schedule. Starting pitcher Connor Higgins earned his first varsity win today, pitching five effective innings of shutout baseball, allowing two hits and six walks, while striking out six.  After allowing Pleasant Valley to put runners in scoring position in the 4th and 5th innings, Higgins got himself out of each inning with an inning ending strikeout.  Chris Rabasco pitched 1+ innings before handing the ball to Tyler Duff in the 7th inning after the first two Pleasant Valley batters reached base on consecutive walks.  Those two baserunners would eventually score for Pleasant Valley's only runs of the day.  Duff ended the late inning rally by Pleasant Valley and earned his second save of the season to close out the victory.

The Trojans took a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning when Damin Muth (2-for-2, double, 2 BB, 3 runs) doubled to right field and scored on a two-out, RBI single by Rabasco (2-for-4, R, RBI).  The score remained 1-0 until the 5th inning when Jordan Jones (1-for-4, RBI) hit an RBI single to increase Parkland's lead to 2-0.  Three consecutive hits by Parkland batters to begin the 7th inning extended the Trojan lead to 3-0.  Muth and Rabasco hit back-to-back singles, then Adam Schneck (1-for-2, double, BB, HBP, RBI) doubled into the left-center gap to bring Muth home.  A few batters later Rabasco scored on a Gabe Mosser sacrifice fly for a 4-0 Parkland lead. 

Defensively the Trojans turned a 4-6-3 double play, and first baseman Nate Case made a diving stab of a ground ball to his right and stepped on the bag to end a 3rd inning threat.

The Trojan JV's beat Pleasant Valley JV by a score of 6-5 in dramatic fashion on a walk-off single by winning pitcher Jeff Strisovsky in the bottom of the 8th inning.  The JV's now enjoy a 12-0 record.  Right fielder Josh Dieter (1-for-2, run, 2 BB) got things going in the extra frame by leading off the 8th inning with a base on balls.  Dieter advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt executed by first baseman Kyle Novobilski (1-for-3, run).  After an intentional walk to Tyler Bruno (1-for-2, run, 3 BB), Strisovsky (2-for-3, run, BB, 3 RBI) delivered the game-winning hit by driving a single past the Pleasant Valley third baseman, scoring pinch runner Andrew Roth. 

The JV's got on the board in the 3rd inning to take a 2-0 lead when Dieter doubled to left field followed by a bunt for hit by Novobilski.  After Novobilski stole second base to put runners on second and third, Strisovsky scored both base runners with a 2-RBI single to right field.  However, the JV Trojans found themselves trailng 5-2 going into the bottom of the 7th inning.  The rally started by consecutive walks to Bruno and Strisovsky to start the inning.  Designated hitter Tanner Stufflet (1-for-3, run, 2 RBI) doubled to the left-center gap to bring home both base runners.  Evan McAndrew (1-for-4, RBI) then followed with another double that scored Stufflet to tie the game at 5-5 and send the game to extra innings.

On the mound, Alec Bartholomew started and pitched 5 innings allowing four runs and striking out four.  Strisovsky came on in relief in the 6th inning and worked the rest of the way for three innings, allowing one run and striking out one.  Bartholomew moved to centerfield after his day was done on the mound and made a terrific running, shoestring catch to save a run in the 6th inning.