Parkland High School Baseball

With 14 base hits and 7 walks today, the Parkland Trojans scored 8 runs for their fifth win in a row as they beat North Penn by a score of 8-3 in a non-conference match-up.  Parkland took a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning as Chris Rabasco (3-5, 2B, 2R, 2RBI) drove a line drive through the left-center gap for an RBI double scoring Justin Afflerbach (1-4, BB, R).  The Trojans added one run in the 4th inning when Cullan Wadsworth (2-2, HBP, sac fly, R, 2RBI) singled, stole second, and then scored on an RBI single by Austin Mueller (2-3, 2RBI).  The Trojans broke the game open with a 5-run 5th inning.

Starting pitcher Harsha Bollu earned his second victory of the season as he pitched 5-1/3 innings allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks.  Bollu struck out four and induced North Penn batters to hit several balls in the air as the Trojan defense caught nine fly ball outs while Bollu was on the mound.  In the 5th inning, Isaac Neal (1-3, BB, R) singled, Kyle Friebolin reached base on an error, and Jeff Strisovsky (1-2, BB, R) walked to load the bases with no outs.  After Neal scored on a wild pitch, Rabasco singled to plate courtesy runner Andrew Roth (1-1, BB, R).  Another wild pitch allowed Strisovsky to score the third run of the inning, Tyler Bruno (1-2, BB, R) walked, and Evan McAndrew (1-3) singled to load the bases again.  A Wadsworth sacrifice fly scored Rabasco and Mueller hit another RBI single to give the Trojans a 7-1 lead in the 5th inning.

With two outs and nobody on base in the 6th inning, the Trojans rallied to score one more run.  Rabasco got his third hit of the game with a single up the middle and EJ Brandt (0-0, BB) and Kyle Novobilski (0-0, BB) both walked to load the bases.  Wadsworth was then hit by a pitch to score Rabasco for his second RBI of the game. 

Alec Bartholomew took the mound in relief of Bollu in the 6th inning with one out and runners on first and second base.  After a ground ball out, a walk loaded the bases for North Penn, but Bartholomew got out of the jam with another ground out to end the inning.  Bartholomew pitched a total of 1-2/3 innings of no-hit baseball, but did allow one North Penn run in the bottom of the 7th inning when two batters reached base on a walk and hit-by-pitch with one run eventually scoring on a ground ball out.  Bartholomew finished with one strikeout and two walks.

The JV Trojans used a 7-run 3rd inning to post an 11-2 win over the North Penn Knights.  Starting pitcher Collin Duff recorded the win, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks, with 2 strikeouts in 5 innings worked.  Dylan Snyder pitched a scoreless 6th and final inning, giving up no hits and 1 walk.

Colin Calpin (4 for 4, double, R, RBI) led the Trojan offense with 4 hits on day.  Calpin was part of the 3rd inning rally that broke the game open 9-0.  The Trojans took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st when Joey Bolick (0 for 0, HBP, 2BB, 2R, RBI) led off the inning reaching base on a hit by pitch.  Bolick scored later in the inning on Matt Mellinger (2 for 4, double, R, 2RBI) sacrifice fly.  Parkland added a run in the 2nd inning on a Nick Iannotta (2 for 4, double, 2R) single followed by a Christian Kinsley (0 for 2, BB, R) walk and a Calpin single to load the bases.  Iannotta scored on a Bolick walk for a 2-0 lead.

Mellinger got the 3rd inning started with a lead-off single and Nate Markowicz (1 for 4, double, R) reached on error.  Mellinger scored on a wild pitch and Nick Stillittano (1 for 4, R, RBI)  singled to score Markowicz.  Calpin singled to score Stillittano followed by a Bolick walk to load the bases.  Scott Hudock (0 for 2, BB, R) and Ethan Imler (0 for 4, R) reached base on error, scoring Calpin and Bolick.  Mellinger doubled down the left field line to score Hudock, and Imler scored on a Markowicz ground ball to take a 9-0 lead.  After North Penn picked up 2 runs in the 4th, Parkland added two more in the 6th.  Iannotta led off with a double to right center and Kinsley followed with a walk.  Calpin picked up his 4th hit of the day with a single to load the bases.  Josh Lee (0 for 0, 2BB, RBI) walked to score Iannotta.  Kinsley would score on a wild pitch and Anderson Hummer (1 for 1) singled to round out the Trojan offense in the 11-2 victory.

The Parkland Trojans are 2015 Skyline Division Champions for the inaugural season of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference.  Parkland clinched the division tonight as they downed visiting Emmaus by a score of 3-1 as the Trojans celebrated Senior Night.  Pitcher Rhett Jacoby tossed a complete game three-hitter to lead the Trojans to victory.  Jacoby had nine strikeouts and one walk.  Jacoby allowed a first inning run on two hits to the Green Hornets to give Emmaus the early 1-0 lead. 

Emmaus held on to the 1-0 lead through four innings of play.  Parkland managed only two base hits after three innings of play.  In the 4th inning, Parkland had runners on second and third base with one out after Chris Rabasco (1-2, BB) led off the inning with a single and Evan McAndrew (0-2, HBP) was hit by a pitch.  Emmaus got out of the inning by retiring the next two Trojan batters to preserve their 1-0 lead.  In the 5th inning, Isaac Neal (1-3, R) hit a fly ball to deep left field that was misplayed by the left fielder and Neal ended up on second base.  Jeff Strisovsky (2-4, 2 RBI) then hit a single through the left side to score Neal to tie the game at 1-1.   Parkland proceeded to load the bases with one out when Justin Afflerbach (1-4) singled and Rabasco walked, but the Trojans left the bases loaded and the game tied at 1-1 after five innings of play.  In the 6th inning, Austin Mueller (1-1) led off with a single and Jacoby sacrificed courtesy runner Cullan Wadsworth over to second base.  After Wadsworth advanced to third on a wild pitch, Andrew Roth (1-3, R, RBI) singled to drive in Wadsworth for the go-ahead run and give Parkland a 2-1 lead.  Roth stole second base and Strisovsky then delivered again with his second RBI single of the game to give the Trojans a key insurance run and the 3-1 lead heading into the 7th inning.  

After the Emmaus run in the first inning, Jacoby dominated the rest of the game as he cruised through the Green Hornet lineup, only allowing two batters to reach base through the next six innings of play.  After allowing a two-out base on balls in the 3rd inning, Jacoby retired the next thirteen Green Hornet batters in consecutive fashion, including striking out the side in order in the 6th inning, to seal the win and complete his three-hitter.     

The JV Trojans picked up their 13th win of the season with a 14-9 victory over Emmaus.  Parkland overcame an early 5-run deficit as the Trojan bats came alive in the 5th and 6th innings, scoring 11 runs on their way to the 14-9 win.  The Trojans had 11 hits on the day including 3 triples and 2  doubles.  Starting pitcher Christian Kinsley worked 2 innings giving up 5 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks.  Will Algard picked up the win throwing 5 innings in relief, allowing 4 runs on 4 hits.  Algard recorded 1 strikeout while giving up 3 walks.

Emmaus got out to an early 5-0 lead with a run in the 1st and four more in the 2nd inning. Parkland got on the board with a run in the top of the 3rd on a Dylan Snyder (1 for 1, double, R) lead-off double and later scored on a Joey Bolick (0 for 3, 2BB, R, RBI)  ground out to second.  The Trojans added a run in the 4th on an Ethan Imler (2 for 2, double, 2BB, 2RBI) single, followed by a Matt Mellinger (1 for 3, BB, 2R) walk, and a Nate Markowicz (2 for 4, 2 triples, 2R, 5RBI) sacrifice bunt.  Imler scored on a Christian Kinsley (1 for 5, RBI) single to cut the lead to 5-2.  Parkland put up 6 runs in the 5th inning to take an 8-5 lead.  Will Algard (0 for 2, BB, R) started the inning by reaching base on error and Collin Duff (0 for 3, HBP, R) was hit by a pitch.  Three consecutive walks to Bolick, Scott Hudock (1 for 3, triple, BB, 2R, 2RBI), and Imler scored Algard and Duff.   Following a Mellinger fielder's choice, Markowicz hit his first of two triples on the day to clear the bases, scoring Hudock, Imler, and Mellinger.  Nick Stillittano (1 for 4, RBI) followed with a single to score Markowicz.  Emmaus responded with 2 runs in the bottom of the 5th to pull within a run at 8-7. 

Parkland's rally continued in the 6th inning, scoring 5 more runs to open up the game.  Bolick started the inning with a walk, followed by 4 consecutive hits.  Hudock tripled to score Bolick, Imler doubled to score Hudock, Mellinger singled to put runners on the corners, and Markowicz followed with his 2nd triple of the day to score Imler and Mellinger. Markowicz scored on a Stillittano ground ball to give the Trojans a 13-7 lead.  Parkland added an insurance run in the 7th when Adam Mellinger (0 for 0, HPB, R) was hit by a pitch followed by a Josh Lee (1 for 1) single.  With two outs, Mellinger scored on a Landon Annoni (1 for 1, RBI) single, making the score 14-7.  Emmaus scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th before being shut down by Algard for the 14-9 final.

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.