The North Parkland baseball team has had to play a lot of games on consecutive days to start the 2021 summer season. The Buffaloes have a stretch of playing 15 games in 16 days. They are 10 games into that stretch and are 5-5 overall.

Along with playing a large number of games in a small amount of time comes fatigue and injuries. North Parkland has had to deal with both of late.

“Our pitching staff is really hurting,” said head coach Terry Stoudt. “Playing so many games in a row wears down their arms. We have to play a stretch of 15 games in 16 days. Nick Ernst, our number one pitcher, is out for the year.”

In one of their latest games, the Buffaloes lost a late lead and fell to rival South Parkland 8-7 last Friday evening at Parkland High School. It was the second defeat in as many days to the Trojans.

“Joe [Algard] pitched a great game for us,” Stoudt said on his starter who struck out nine batters and allowed just three hits and three runs. “But when we pulled him (after five innings), they were able to put together some hits and get the better of us.”

South Parkland was trailing and down to its final three outs twice late in the game. But each time scored runs, first to tie the game and force extra innings and again to win in walk-off fashion, as the Trojans won the game 8-7.

South Parkland was trailing 6-4 in the bottom of the seventh before scoring twice to force extras. In the eighth, the Trojans fell behind 7-6, but once again brought home two runners to secure the victory.

North Parkland outhit South Parkland 9-7 overall. Wyatt Landis led the way with a team-high two hits, going 2-for-5, adding a run and an RBI.

Aaron Atiyeh hit into a fielder’s choice in the top of the first inning that brought home the first run of the game and gave the Buffaloes a 1-0 advantage. North Parkland scored in each of the first four innings, including twice in the third and one each in the second and fourth to go ahead 5-3 after four.

Stoudt knows that these regular season games are good for experience, but the wins matter most in the postseason.

“Playoffs are what’s most important,” said Stoudt. “We obviously would love to win every game during the season, but we want to be playing our best in the playoffs. We’ll hopefully get healthier and be at the top of our game when that comes.”