Parkland High School Baseball

The Parkland Trojans won their second game of the season behind a 3-hit shutout by senior pitcher Rhett Jacoby.  Jacoby pitched a complete game in the 5-inning, mercy rule shortened game as Parkland beat Central Catholic by a score of 10-0.  Jacoby scattered three hits, collected six strikeouts and did not walk a batter to lead Parkland to victory.

The Trojans struck early scoring three runs in the 1st inning.  Parkland loaded the bases with a Jeff Strisovsky (1-for-2, R, BB, HBP) single, a double by Chris Rabasco (2-for-2, two doubles, sac fly, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI), and a Justin Afflerbach (2-for-3, double, R, RBI) hit-by-pitch.  Tyler Bruno (2-for-2, double, 4 RBI) doubled to right field to drive in two runs, and Austin Mueller (0-for-2, BB, RBI) gave Parkland the 3-0 lead with an RBI groundout.  Parkland increased their lead to 6-0 after scoring three more runs in the second inning.  Andrew Roth (1-for-3, R) singled to center to lead off the inning, and later scored on an RBI single by Evan McAndrew (1-for-4, 4 R, 2 RBI).  Strisovsky scored on a Rabasco sacrifice fly out, then Bruno collected his third RBI of the game driving in McAndrew with a single. 

After adding a run in the 4th inning on a Bruno RBI hit-by-pitch, Parkland scored three runs in the bottom of the 5th inning to end the game and give the Trojans the 10-0 victory.  Dan Zaccaro (1-for-3, double, R) led of the 5th inning with a double and later scored on a McAndrew RBI fielder's choice.  McAndrew scored on Rabasco's second double of the game and Afflerbach ended the game with an RBI double to score Rabasco.  Freshman Cullan Wadsworth (1-for-3) rounded out Parkland's offense with his first varsity base hit.

After six game postponements, weeks of extra winter weather, and no baseball in the month of March, the Parkland Trojans finally hit the ball field today for their 2015 season opener against visiting Dieruff.  Although the bats took a few innings to get going, Parkland pitching dominated and three pitchers combined to no-hit Dieruff for the 8-0 win.

Starting pitcher Connor Higgins was untouchable in his 5 innings of work, striking out 12 while not allowing a hit or a walk.  Higgins struck out the first six batters of the game and went on to retire the first 14 batters in order before a Parkland fielding error allowed a batter to reach base.  Evan McAndrew relieved Higgins in the 6th inning and McAndrew struck out the side after allowing two base runners to reach on a walk and hit-by-pitch.  Alec Bartholomew then pitched a perfect 7th inning to complete the no-hitter.

The Trojans put two runners on base in the 1st inning after back-to-back singles by McAndrew (2-for 3, BB, R, 2 RBI) and Chris Rabasco (3-for-4, R, 2 RBI), but an inning ending double play kept the Trojans off the board.  Parkland took a 3-0 lead in the 3rd inning when Jeff Strisovsky (1-for-4, 2 R) reached base on an error, McAndrew walked, and then Rabasco singled home Strisovsky for Parkland's first run of the game.  Justin Afflerbach (1-for-3, 2 RBI) then hit a 2-RBI single to give Parkland a 3-0 lead after three innings of play.

The scored remained 3-0 until the 6th inning when Parkland batted around the order and scored five runs.   Tyler Bruno (1-for-3, R) got things going with a booming triple to right field.  Pinch hitter Austin Mueller (1-for-1, RBI) singled home Bruno.  Pinch runner Andrew Roth then scored on a pinch hit RBI single by Harrison Rabenold (1-for-1, RBI).  McAndrew drove in two more Parkland runs on his second single of the day, and Rabasco singled home another run to give Parkland an 8-0 lead heading into the 7th inning.  Isaac Neal (1-for-2, R) rounded out Parkland's offense with a single.

__________________________________________________________________________ 

Perfect Game USA announced today its annual Perfect Game Preseason All-American Team to recognize the top high school baseball players in the country.  Parkland senior shortstop/pitcher Chris Rabasco and senior pitcher Connor Higgins were named to the 2015 Preseason All-American High Honorable Mention team.  This is the third year in a row that Higgins has earned Perfect Game Preseason honors, while Rabasco has been named for the second year in a row. 

Perfect Game USA also announced today its 2015 Preseason Atlantic All-Region teams.  Senior pitcher Rhett Jacoby and senior pitcher Alec Bartholomew joined Rabasco and Higgins with selection to the Perfect Game Preseason Atlantic All-Region Team.  Higgins was named to the Atlantic All-Region 2nd Team, while Jacoby, Bartholomew and Rabasco received Atlantic All-Region Honorable Mention.  This is the second year in a row that Jacoby has been honored by Perfect Game.

Congratulations to Connor, Chris, Alec and Rhett on this significant honor.  All four players plan to continue their baseball careers in college with Bartholomew headed to Marywood University, Rabasco to the University of Pennsylvania, Higgins to Arizona State University, and Jacoby to Millersville University.

CLICK Perfect Game Logo or HERE for full list of Perfect Game Preseason All-Americans and full list of Atlantic All-Region team members. 

_________________________________________________________________________ 

Click photo for the 2015 season preview by The Morning Call's Stephen Miller

______________________________________________________________________