The South Parkland Connie Mack team concluded a fine 2021 regular season in which the Trojans lost three of four games before rebounding with three straight wins to end the season.

“The last week of June leading into the Fourth of July was a rough week for the guys,” said SP head coach Donald Friday.

Two defeats were bitter late-inning losses to two of the league’s better clubs. But the losses still had value.

“While we lost, we also proved to ourselves we can play with any team in our league,” said Friday. “This will serve us well heading into the playoffs.

An 11-6 setback on June 27 to Southern Lehigh at Limeport Stadium marked the only regular season game South Parkland lost by more than two runs. The Trojans, who dropped to 9-2 with the loss, were in a hole from the start, surrendering eight runs over the first three innings. But if one thing has been consistent this year for the Trojans, it has been they never give up.

A leadoff double by John Friday and an RBI single by Michael Glick in the bottom of the fifth got South Parkland on the board. In the sixth, Friday added an RBI single, but that was the closest South Parkland could get. Friday, who co-led the club with two hits, started on the mound and allowed three runs over two innings, striking out three. Adam Crupi also notched two hits, finishing with a double and an RBI.

South Parkland rebounded the next night with a 11-7 win over Bethlehem Catholic at Cedar Creek Park. Tommy Houser carried a big stick this night, lacing a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth giving the Trojans a lead they would not relinquish. This one started like it could be a rout, as South Parkland jumped to a 4-0 lead, but the Golden Hawks tied it with two runs in each in the fourth and fifth against Trojan starter Jaiden Wanamaker.

Houser’s game-winning hit sparked a three-run rally that featured an RBI double by Jake Kemper and a sacrifice fly by Xander Provence. South Parkland erased any doubt about the game’s outcome with four runs in the frame.

Houser and Kemper both finished with a team-high three hits, while Kemper and Provence each had three RBIs. Coming out of the pen, Crupi earned the win, allowing just one run over two innings with a pair of strikeouts. Wannamaker fanned eight and did not issue a walk, even though he did not get a decision.

The next night the Trojans got up off the mat after falling behind 5-1 on the road to Moore Township, only to lose in a gut-punch, walk-off loss, 8-7.

In what appeared to be a hopeless situation with South Parkland down to its last out and down four runs, the Trojans started an epic, six-run rally.

After a two-out single by Jake Kemper, the Trojans took advantage of a Moore Township error and a walk to garner momentum. Trailing 5-2 and with the bases loaded, Wanamaker stroked a two-run double to right center field that pulled South Parkland within a run.

With runners on second and third, Provence legged out an infield single and a Moore throwing error allowed both the tying and go-ahead runs to score. Provence played it aggressive, stealing third base and scoring on yet another Moore throwing error to give the Trojans a 7-5 lead.

But it fell apart in the bottom of the inning, when Moore pushed across the game winner on a one-out, bases-loaded walk off Kemper. The loss dropped South Parkland’s record to 10-3.

On July 2, South Parkland dropped to 10-4 with a 9-7 loss to Northwest Bethlehem at Cedar Creek Park. Once again, South Parkland fell behind big early - this time 7-.2 However the Trojans showed what they were made of, as they scored two in the third and three more in the fourth to tie it at 7-7.

John Friday offered fine relief work, keeping the Trojans in the game by holding Northwest Bethlehem to two runs over four innings, while striking out five.

Wanamaker paced the offense with two hits - a double in the first and a RBI triple in the third. Tre Seibel recorded both a hit and a RBI in the losing effort.

The season’s final week saw South Parkland’s bats come alive in a 12-4 win over Northern Valley on July 6, and a 17-3 pasting of Easton one night later, and a 10-9 win over Bangor in the season finale for a 14-4 record.

“Overall I am proud of this group for what they have accomplished in the regular season,” said Friday. “It was a grind at 18 games, with a tough stretch of opponents during the last two weeks. Our full roster contributed along the way.”

Friday can’t wait for the postseason, which is schedule to start this week.

“I look forward to what this group is capable of,” he said in assessing the playoffs. “While we have played good baseball during the regular season at times, our best baseball is yet to come.”