North Parkland opened play in the 2025 Lehigh Valley Legion tournament on Monday night at home against Lower Macungie.

Both teams are dark horses to go deep into the tournament with the Buffaloes having some of the top pitching in the league and the Mustangs claim to fame being that they are the only team to have beaten South Parkland this season and they did it twice.

Noah Trager got the start for Parkland and Ryan Hummell opened for Lower Macungie in a game that had pitcher’s duel written all over it.

North Parkland was able to get three runs late in the game and pick up a 4-1 win to advance in the winner’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament.

After the Mustangs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, the Buffaloes returned fire in the bottom of the fourth when they put a two-out run on the board.

Nate Unger started the uprising with an infield single ahead of Brody Morabito, who launched a ball to deep center field for a double to drive in Unger and tie the game 1-1. Hummell quickly gathered himself and got a strikeout to end the inning.

Trager put down Lower Mac in order in the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the inning, Tsubasa Magota reached on an infield single with one out and Peyton Scherff followed with a fly ball to right that fell in for a double to put two runners in scoring position.

Unger singled to left to bring home both runners and give the Buffaloes their first lead of the game 3-1.

One out later, Leo Dauberman reached base on an error to put runners on first and third with two outs. North Parkland pulled off a successful double steal with Unger scoring and Dauberman moving to second.

NP looked to get another run when Mike Evans singled to center but a great throw from Cole Geiger to catcher Dayne Schmidt nailed Dauberman at the plate for the final out of the inning.

Trager allowed a two-out single in the seventh, but no damage was done as he recorded his fifth strikeout of the game for the final out. Trager finished with a complete game win, allowing four hits and a walk to go with his five strikeouts.

The Buffaloes advance to face South Parkland in a winners bracket matchup Thursday at 5:45 at Parkland High School.