The Parkland High School baseball team was three outs away from earning a victory in its season opening game last Tuesday, March 21. But the Trojan defense had a couple of hiccups and Northampton took advantage of them on its way to a 10-8 win in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and season opener for both teams at Parkland High School.

The Trojans held a 6-3 lead heading into the top of the seventh inning, but the Kids put up a seven-run inning to go on top 10-6. Parkland would get two runs back in the bottom-half of the inning, but could not make it all the way back.

Parkland scored three runs in its first at-bats in the bottom of the first, highlighted by a two-run single out of Matt Razzis. Pinch runner Andrew Klotz touched home on a wild pitch to put his team ahead 3-0.

In the bottom of the second, Michael Cole singled to center field to bring home Michael Oliver, who walked with one out and then stole second as the Trojans found themselves on top 4-0 through two.

Northampton got on the scoreboard with a run in the top of the third on a run-scoring groundout. Parkland, then, scored two more in the bottom of the fourth thanks to an RBI double by Will Dobil and a run-scoring single from Cole as the Trojans took their largest lead of the game at 6-1.

But the Kids answered with two runs in their next at-bats in an inning that featured seven batters but just one hit. There were two errors and a walk and Parkland found itself leading 6-3. Northampton then had its first seven batters reach base safely in the top of the seventh, including six for hits as the Kids batted around and scored seven runs to take its first lead.

The Trojans threatened in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with nobody out thanks to two walks and a hit by pitch. Dominic Medlar then had a sacrifice fly that scored a run and Louis Inserra had an RBI groundout.

Northampton outhit Parkland 11-8. The Trojans committed six errors in the game to zero for the Kids. Owen DeLong started on the mound and went five innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits.

Dobil (2-for-4, 2 runs, RBI), Cole (2-for-3, 2 RBI), Razzis (2-for-3) and Jaiden Wannamaker (2-for-4) accounted for all of the Trojans’ eight hits in the loss.

Parkland has a busy week with four games. The Trojans played at Allen on Monday and then hosted Pocono Mountain East in EPC action. They are at Wilson West Lawn in a nonconference game on Thursday before closing out the week hosting Whitehall on Saturday.