Parkland High School Baseball

With the Northeast weather being more "May Showers than Flowers" flexibility, adaptability and readiness to perform on demand are quickly becoming a necessity. Fortunately, the Trojan failthful are being treated to a Trojan Team that is up to the challenge. As Parkland opened EPC Conference play with a Home tilt against Freedom. With both Teams able to throw their No. 1 Pitcher from this season a pitchers duel was forecasted and both pitchers showed up looking to put his team on their back. Parkland sent Adam Smith to the mound and the Junior did not disappoint tossing a complete game shutout with 7 strikeouts while giving up 2 hits for the Trojans. Offensively the Trojans were held mostly in check with Joseph Webber and Matt Ervolina with two hits apiece and Cullan Wadsworth and Will Algard with one and an RBI a piece accounting for the two Trojan runs.  With Post Season play no underway it is best to leave the journalism to the "pro's" links to articles follow below.

http://www.mcall.com/sports/varsity/mc-spt-freedom-parkland-baseball-20180514-story.html

The EPC Conference dealt with an unusual week as Teams saw games postponed from one day to the next as the weather boasting storms of both rain and hail interfered with games. After multiple false starts it was determined that the semifinals would be handled "Tourney Style" on Friday the 18th. The number 2 seeded Trojans would take on Stroudburg in one semifinal with Easton vs Emmaus in the other and the winners would battle it out in the Championship game at 1:30. The venue was to be Scranton University's brand new turf stadium an hour and a half away. Easton chose the 11:30 semifinal as the one seed which means the Trojans had to board the bus at PHS at 6:30 AM to play a 9 AM semifinal matchup against Stroudsburg. With bacon and bats on board the Trojans took to the road and took over the field at Scranton University and demonstrated in dominant fashion why they are now back to back EPC Conference Champions (inc 4 of the last 5) after most pundints had written them off as possibly the 3rd or 4th best team in the conference for 2018 Season.

The detailed blow by blow is best left for the scribes via links below: 

http://highschoolsports.lehighvalleylive.com/school/allentown-parkland-high-school/baseball/

http://highschoolsports.lehighvalleylive.com/news/article/5197543778320017689/parkland-baseball-adds-an-unconventional-epc-title-to-its-collection

The Trojans and their fans took time prior to Wednesday Nights game at the Sandlot to hold the 3rd Annual Hometown Heores Event to celebrate and honor those in the community that serve in the Military, Police, Fire and Emergency Services. With Hometown Honorees from each of the four branches being recognized prior to the game and those that were in attendance throughout; the Trojans and their Booster Club collected donations for 3 great causes, The Gary Sinise Foundatioon, Hope for Heores and Parkland for Parkland. Helmut Fried (Vietnam War Vet) Military, Josh Faust (Parkland Alum and our very own 1st Base Coach) Police, Jeff Johnson (Parkland Alum 1971, Fire Chief Tri-Clover) Firefighters, Jen Brown (Five Tool EMT Threat) Emergency Services and First Responders were recognized for their service and contributions to the community prior to Taena Aponte and Jess Schaffer singing renditions of America the Beautiful and the Star Spangled Banner for all of those in attendance at Trojan Stadium. With the lights on and attention turned to the game CK Kinsley got the nod on the mound for the Trojans with battery mate George Jenkins behind home plate. Kinsley went the distance for the Trojans & got stronger as the game went on; giving up 3 hits and a run while striking out 9 over the course of a 7 inning complete game outing, with 2 of the strikeouts to start the Top of the 7th before a ground out to Matt Ervolina for the final out of the 4-1 Trojan Victory. On offense Jeremy Piatkiewicz had a Triple and runscored and a walk to pace the offense along with Joe Webber who had a hit and 2 walks. The Trojans thereatened out of the gate with Webber and Kinsley both reaching base with singles in the bottom of the 1st after Whitehall was retired in order but they were LOB. After that both sids were kept off the board until Whitehall got on the board in the top of the 4th first with a run and Kinsley and the Trojans found their way out of the bases being loaded while only surrendering a run.

The Trojans then stormed back in the bottom of the fourth to retake the lead 2-1 when Adam Mellinger & Will Algard walked with the former scoring on a wild pitch and Algard on a Matt Ervolina RBI FC to the first baseman with Dylan Miller also drawing a walk in between. With his teammates taking back the lead Kinsley & the Trojans locked it down from that point tacking on a insurance run in the bottom of the 5th courtesy of a Jeremy Piatkiewicz Triple, a Joe Webber walk, CK Kinsley RBI groundout making the score 3-1 after which Cullan Wadsworth was HBP the inning ended with Webber and Wads LOB. The Trojans would get the final run of the game in the Bottom of the sizth after Kinsley and the Trojans retired Whitehall in order in the Topf of the sixth, when Matt Ervolina singled and advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch followed by walks by Jeremy Piatkiewicz, and Joe Webber walks with Ervolina scoring to make it 4-1 on the latter as ball 4 was a wild pitch. With the victory the Trojans will have 2 days to prepare on a high note having won 2 of their last 3 games leading up to the EPC Conference Playoffs starting on Saturday May 12th as the second season begins for the Trojans.

In what started as a bit of pitchers duel in the box score with Adam Smith taking the hill for the Trojans in Northampton, when it was all said and done only the Trojan starter was able to maintain the duel throughout the game. Smith finished yet another efficient day on the hill for the Trojans, as has been the theme for most of the season; scattering eight hits and 1 run over 6 2/3 innings of work with 3 strikeouts as he kept K-Kid batters off balance and although the ball was put in play, the Trojans behind Smith were there to make the play. Offensively for the Trojans through the first four innings of play Joe Webber (4-4) & CK Kinsley (2-4) were the only Trojans to grace the basepaths and a game long pitchers duel seemed to be in the making. However, a four-run fifth inning put the Trojans ahead for good, Dylan Miller got it started with a single to CF, Matt Ervolina singled followed by a Jeremyt Piatkiewicz sacrifice to advance the runners to 2nd & 3rd & ROE, George Jenkins then doubled giving the Trojans a 3-0 leade, Austin Imler came in to run for Jenkins and scored on a Joe Webber single to make the score 4-0. CK Kinsley then singled but was LOB. Northampton got its lone run of the game in the bottom of the 6th after Matt Ervolina had doubled in the Top of the 6th but was LOB. The Trojans then tacked on the cushion with 3 runs in the Top of the 7th after Jenkins singled and Austin Imler came in to run for him Joe Webber and CK Kinsley singled to load the bases, Cullan Wadsworth then doubled plating Imler, Webber and Kinsley scoring from first on the hit to make it a 7-1 Parkland lead. Will Algard (BB) and Dylan Miller (single) also reached in the 7th but were LOB. Adam Smith then got the first two outs in the bottom of the 7th and Koby Staivecki came in to get the final out in relief of Smith sealing the Trojan Victory.