After a tough 12-3 loss to Liberty earlier in the month, Parkland (11-2 overall, 10-0 EPC) bounced right back to win three straight before a loss to Hazleton in a nonconference game broke the string. The good news is that the Trojan baseball team again bounced back and beat Easton 4-3 in a game that was a long-time coming because of bad weather that had Parkland travel to Easton three times in an attempt to get the game in.

The game actually started two weeks earlier, but rains kept pushing the continuation back until they finally got the game completed on Monday. Not only was it tough to get the game played, it was a tough one for Parkland to win. A 3-6-3 double-play to end the game locked things up for the Trojans (11-2 overall, 10-0 EPC).

Adam Smith gave Parkland six good innings on the mound and Koby Staivecki allowed the Red Rovers to load the bases in the seventh, but then induced the double-play groundball to record his second save of the season.

“I think playing Liberty in a non-league game actually helped us to beat Easton,” said coach Kurt Weber. “When you see good teams like that you get better and you expect a higher caliber of play.

“The story for me against Easton is that we went over there three times to try and start the game and you get a little tired of that drive and Adam [Smith] had warmed up at least once before. Knowing they had the leadoff guy on second base in the first, I thought it was huge that he got out of that with no runs.”

Jack Giovenco went 3-for-3 with a triple in the game and scored a run for Parkland, with Jeremy Piatkiewicz and Matt Ervolina each adding two hits.

With Easton (9-4, 8-3) out of the way, Parkland traveled to play Dieruff (3-10, 3-8) on Tuesday and took an early lead that allowed coach Kurt Weber to empty the bench to give some of his starters some well-deserved time off.

Piatkewicz created a run for Parkland in the first when he led off by being plunked in the leg by a pitch. On back-to-back pitches he then stole second and third, leaving Blake Barthol to lift a fly ball to center field that allowed Piatkewicz to score the first of what would be six first inning runs.

It didn’t hurt that Dieruff made three errors in the inning and in addition to the hit batter, there were three walks by starter Emmanuel Hernandez.

Parkland stretched the lead to 9-0 after the second inning with Austin Imler delivering an RBI double. In the third, Weber began going to his bench and by the end of the game, he had replaced every starter.

Gabe Stay, who took over at second for Piatkewicz, finished with two RBI on a sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded walk. Trent Viola also picked up an RBI with a bases-loaded walk in the fifth that brought home Andrew Sorrentino, who walked to start the inning.

Nikhil Patel started and allowed just one run in four innings of work and Sorrentino pitched the fifth without allowing a baserunner and recording two strikeouts. Parkland pitching retired the last six batters of the game, four on strikeouts.

Angel Mota was the only batter to reach base for Dieruff after the first inning when he was hit by a pitch to leadoff the fourth and then stranded at first.

Parkland pitchers are the proud owners of a combined 2.45 ERA this season and they’ve notched 90 strikeouts in 83 innings, while allowing just 25 walks.

“They’re definitely consistent and they work really well with me, so that I’m never crossed up,” said catcher George Jenkins. “They’re fun to catch.”

Even with the success so far, Jenkins believes that over its final seven games of the season, the team needs to improve in some areas, especially defensively.

“I think we still have improvements to make, because we’re still making a few errors and we haven’t played our best baseball yet, but we’re definitely improving,” said Jenkins.

Parkland hosts Pleasant Valley (8-4, 7-4) Thursday and then has a rematch with Northampton (12-2, 8-2) on Saturday. Smith and Staivecki combined to no-hit the Konkrete Kids in the season opener, but after opening with two losses, Northampton has rattled off 12 impressive wins.