Parkland High School Baseball

The formula for how the 2014 Parkland Trojans became the LVC & District XI champions involved dominant pitching and an offense that found ways to get on base and get that key hit at the right time. For the season, the Trojan pitching staff had a team ERA of 1.31 and 10 shutout victories. Although the team batting average of .285 is not one you expect from champions, the team batting average with runners in scoring position was .324, their on-base percentage was over .400, and the Trojans regularly found ways to manufacture runs, get that clutch hit when needed, and make opponents pay for their errors. In today's opening round of the 2014 PIAA State Playoffs, pieces of that formula were missing and five Parkland errors were too much to overcome as the Trojans lost to Spring-Ford by a score of 2-1.

Starting pitcher Gabe Mosser and reliever Rhett Jacoby provided the good pitching. Mosser went 4+ innings allowing two runs (one earned) on two base hits with two walks. Mosser also had 9 strikeouts. Spring-Ford's one earned run came in the 2nd inning on a walk followed by a double. Jacoby pitched three scoreless innings striking out two while allowing two hits and one walk. Jacoby came on in the 5th with the Trojans down by a score of 2-0 after Parkland had committed three errors in the inning, leading to a Spring-Ford run.  Jacoby got the Trojans out of that jam and limited the damage.

Spring-Ford's lead off hitter in the 5th inning singled and advanced to second base when the ball got by the outfielder. The next two Spring-Ford batters both bunted and both times the bunts were misplayed. The second bunt was a squeeze play that plated Spring-Ford's second run. After those three errors and with no outs in the inning and runners on first and second base, Jacoby took the mound in relief. Jacoby got Parkland out of the inning without any further damage by striking out one and getting an inning ending double play. A traditional double play was attempted when a ground ball to second baseman Alex Flynn was flipped to shortstop Chris Rabasco for the force out, but the batter beat the throw to first base. At the same time, the runner that was on second base rounded third during the play attempting to score. The throw from first baseman Mosser to the plate was in time as catcher Zach Merkle tagged out the runner for the final out of the 5th inning.

Getting out of that 5th inning gave the Trojans some life in the bottom of the 5th inning even though the first two batters of the inning made outs. With two outs and no one on base in the 5th, Flynn (1-for-2, triple, 2 BB, run) and Jeff Strisovskly earned back-to-back base-on-balls. Rabasco (1-for-3, RBI) then hit a line drive over the second baseman's head for an RBI single to score Flynn and put Parkland on the scoreboard. Zach Miiller was then awarded first base due to catcher's obstruction to load the bases. With Spring-Ford's pitcher struggling to throw strikes, Parkland came close to forcing in the tying run with another walk with Merkle (1-for-2, BB) at the plate, but the close call did not go Parkland's way and a ground out eventually ended the Trojan threat.

The 5th inning was not the first time the Trojans had an opportunity to score. In the 1st inning, Flynn reached base on a walk and advanced to third base, but was stranded there. A lead off single by Merkle in the 2nd inning was quickly erased with a flyout and an inning-ending double play. In the 3rd inning, Flynn hit a two-out triple to deep centerfield, but Flynn would be stranded at third base for the second time in the game. Parkland had runners on first and second base in the 4th inning with one out, but the key hits were missing from today's game. The Trojans could not get anything going in the 6th inning and were retired in order in the 7th inning to end the game and end what was a terrific season for the 2014 Parkland Trojans.

Winning championships are not easy, especially in high school baseball where the single elimination format leaves no margin for mistakes.  In their 60+ year history, Parkland High School baseball has won their share of division and conference championships, but they have never won back-to-back District titles in consecutive seasons.  All of that changed tonight at Coca-Cola Park in front of a great crowd of fans as Parkland downed Stroudsburg by a score of 3-0 to win the 2014 District XI Championship for the second year in a row.  The challenge of repeating as District XI champions was particularly daunting as Parkland not only faced an unfamiliar foe in Stroudsburg High School, but also had to go up against arguably the best pitcher they have faced all season in Alabama recruit Mike Nikorak. 

Parkland countered with their ace, senior Gabe Mosser.  Mosser was in command the entire game despite a couple of Stroudsburg base runners in the early innings.  A lead off single  in the 1st inning was not a problem as Mosser retired the next three batters in a row.  In the 2nd inning, two singles put Stroudsburg runners on first and third base with one out, but Mosser proceeded to strike out the next two batters to end the inning.  For the next five innings, Mosser did not allow a Stroudsburg base runner beyond first base as he turned in a complete game shutout for the 3-0 victory.  Mosser scattered five hits with two walks and had 11 strikeouts.

Parkland hitters were unfazed by the mix of 92+ mph fastballs and good curveballs being thrown at them by Nikorak.  Parkland hitters came out swinging starting with a 1st inning single by Jeff Strisovsky (1-for-1, 2 BB, run).  Mosser (2-for-2, BB) also swung a good bat tonight.  He led off the 3rd inning with a single and gave way to courtesy runner Andrew Roth.  After Roth stole second base, Justin Afflerbach (1-for-3) singled to move Roth to third base, but Afflerbach was tagged out trying to advance to second base.  Alex Flynn (1-for-2, sac fly, RBI, run) then drove a ball to right field to score Roth on a sacrifice fly and give Parkland a 1-0 lead. 

In the 5th inning, Flynn singled and Strisovsky walked to start the inning.  Zach Miiller (1-for-3, RBI) then hit a chopper for an infield single that plated Flynn.  A throwing error on the same play allowed Strisovsky to score to give Parkland the 3-0 lead.  Three runs were more than enough for Mosser as he collected his fourth shutout victory of the season to send Parkland to the PIAA State playoffs slated to start next Monday.

When senior right-handed pitcher Alex Flynn retired the side in order in the top of the 1st inning and when Liberty pitching allowed three walks and one hit in the bottom of the 1st inning, the game had the makings of an easy win for the Trojans in their 4A District XI semi-final matchup against Liberty.  However, the Trojans would only manage to score one run in that first inning, an RBI walk by Zach Merkle, as Liberty turned an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded to quickly change the complexion of the game.  A classic pitcher's duel followed for the next six innings of play.

Flynn pitched brilliantly going six strong innings on the mound allowing four hits and two walks while striking out four.  After taking the 1-0 lead in the 1st inning, the next thirteen Trojan batters managed only one base hit, a two-out double by Chris Rabasco (2-for-3, 2B, RBI) in the 3rd inning.  Liberty tied the game at 1-1 in the 3rd inning when they put together two hits and a walk, scoring the tying run on a two-out RBI single.  Flynn went on to retire nine of the next eleven Liberty batters, including striking out the side in order in the 5th inning. 

Parkland had a chance to break the tie in the 4th inning when Hudson Rabenold and Justin Afflerbach reached base on walks, but they would be stranded on base.  In the bottom of the 5th inning, Flynn (1-for-2, BB, run) led off with a single and advanced to second base on a well executed sacrifice bunt by Jeff Strisovsky (0-for-1, BB, sac bunt).  With pinch runner Andrew Roth at second base, Rabasco delivered his second hit of the game with a line drive to centerfield to score the go-ahead run when Roth slid into home safely just beating the throw from the centerfielder.   Gabe Mosser (1-for-3) and Zach Miiller (1-for-3) each collected singles to round out the Trojan offense.

With the 2-1 lead in hand, Parkland's pitching remained strong.  Flynn finished the 6th inning unscathed allowing a harmless single.  Relief pitcher Rhett Jacoby then took over in the 7th inning and quickly dampened the cheers coming from the Liberty dugout.  Jacoby struck out the side in order to earn a well-deserved save and send the Parkland Trojans to the 4A District XI championship game to be played next Wednesday, May 28, at 6:30 PM against Stroudsburg at Coca-Cola Park.

The Parkland Trojans advanced to the semifinals of the 4A District XI playoffs with a convincing 10-2 victory over Freedom.  The Trojans put runners on base in every inning of the game and collected at least one base hit in each inning of the game for a team total of ten base hits, four walks, and 10 runs scored.  Starting pitcher Gabe Mosser earned his 8th win of the season going six innings on the mound allowing one run on four base hits and no walks.  Mosser struck out 12 batters.  Mosser retired the first six batters of the game before Freedom got consecutive base hits to start the 3rd inning.  Mosser got out of that 3rd inning jam by getting the next three batters out, including two by strikeout. 

Parkland batters took advantage of shaky Freedom pitching at the start of the game with the first two Trojan batters reaching base on eight consecutive balls.  With Alex Flynn (0-for-2, two BB, run) and Jeff Strisovsky (2-for-3, BB, 2 RBI, 2 runs) on base, Chris Rabasco (2-for-3, BB, RBI, 2 runs) hit a line drive to centerfield for an RBI single to put Parkland up by a score of 1-0.  Zach Miiller (1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, run) followed with an RBI groundout and Rabasco then scored when Zach Merkle reached base on an error to give Parkland a 3-0 lead after the first inning of play.

The score remained the same until the 4th inning when the Trojans started a two-out rally after the first two batters of the inning made outs.  Justin Afflerbach (3-for-3, 2 runs) got things going with a single, Brad Vasilik (2-for-2, sac bunt, 2 runs) followed with another single to put runners on the corners.  A double steal scored Afflerbach and an RBI single by Strisovsky scored Vasilik to increase Parkland's lead to 5-0.  Freedom got on the board with a single run in the 5th inning, scoring a runner from third base on a wild pitch. 

The first pitch of the bottom of the 5th inning was sent over the left field fence when Miiller hit a solo homerun to make the score 6-1.  Parkland put up another four runs in the 6th inning when Afflerbach and Vasilik started another rally be reaching base again on back-to-back singles.  Strisovsky hit another RBI single to plate Afflerbach.  Vasilik and Strisovsky would later score on a Freedom error on a ground ball off the bat of Miiller, and Rabasco then scored the final run of the game after reaching base on a walk and coming around to score on a Kevin Jones (0-for-0, sac fly, RBI) sacrifice fly to give Parkland a 10-1 lead.  Rabasco and Rhett Jacoby pitched the 7th inning to finish the game.  Rabasco struck out one, but walked the bases loaded and allowed Freedom to score its second run of the game before giving way to Jacoby who quickly got the last two outs of the game on five pitches, including one by strikeout, to end the game at a score of 10-2.