Wetherhold strikes out 13 in playoff no-hitter
The South Parkland Senior Connie Mack team beat rival North Parkland in the preliminary round of the Lehigh Valley League playoffs to advance to the league’s double-elimation tournament where it faces Northampton in the first round.
The Trojans’ Brooks Wetherhold no-hit the Buffaloes in leading his team to a 7-0 win.
After two scoreless innings to start the game, South Parkland put up four runs in the top of the third inning and then added two more in the fourth, before tacking on a final one in the top of the seventh. The Trojans finished with six hits, but the highlight was their starting pitcher. Wetherhold, who threw a complete-game shutout, struck out 13 batters, while walking three.
Andrew Markowitz got the scoring going with an RBI single in the third that scored Asher Huber. A two-run error later in the inning helped the Trojans scoring and then a sacrifice fly from Caleb Ferrick recorded the fourth run of the frame.
In the fourth, Dylan Mitchell smacked a two-run double and then Jake Santiago added a run-scoring single to extend the lead to 6-0. South Parkland rounded out its scoring with an RBI single by Sam Sullivan in the top of the seventh inning.
The Trojans finished with seven hits, led by two from Sullivan. Jack Campbell, Wetherhold, Mitchell, Santiago and Markowtiz all had one hit.
The Trojans also won their regular season finale at Moore Township last Friday, coming out with an 18-1 victory in five innings. After a scoreless opening inning, SP did all of its scoring the next four, bringing in four in the second, seven in the third, one in the fourth and five in the sixth to finish the game early via the mercy rule.
South Parkland tallied 11 hits, two coming from Markowitz, Ferrick and Andrew Berrigan, the latter adding four RBIs. Wetherhold, Santiago, Campbell, Jason Brubacher and Treyton Ryan all contributed a hit. Brayden Zobel started on the mound and threw three innings, allowing one hit and striking out five to earn the win.
The Trojans faced Northampton Wednesday, after Press deadlines.