Penn takes windy scorefest over Glenn
WALKERTON — Besides the ivy covered outfield walls, the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field is also known for being a launching pad for home runs when the wind is blowing out.
For Tuesday’s clash between Northern Indiana Conference high school baseball heavyweights Glenn and Penn, the respective teams got a feel for what those days at Wrigley must be like as their game was played with steady 30-40 mph winds blowing out.
The Falcons and Kingsmen two of the better hitting teams in the NIC as it is - both showed their proclivity to pound the ball, but aided by 12 walks it was Penn coming away with the football-sounding 19-8 victory.
In all, the two teams combined for 25 hits, including 10 for extra bases. Glenn’s Brycen Hannah and Penn’s Evan Tuesley each hit bombs to straightaway center field that probably would have been home runs on a calm day anyways, but with the jet stream involved those hits threatened to reach the tennis courts in the distance. The wind came into play more with the doubles (five) and triples (three), sending balls over outfielders that were already playing deep.
Penn used an RBI double and triple in the top of first inning to jump out to a 3-0 lead, but Hannah’s two-run blast in the bottom half got the Falcons back within one.
Four singles in the fourth helped the visitors put up another three in the top of the third, but Glenn responded again with an RBI triple by Colin Stephens and an RBI double by Hannah in the home half to stay close at 6-4.
The game turned in the top of the fourth inning. After allowing three straight hits to open the frame, starting pitcher Hannah was pulled, but the next four batters reached off reliever Frank Lizzi and all seven eventually scored to make it 13-4.
“It was Brycen’s first outing of the year,” said Glenn head coach John Nadolny of the junior hurler. “I wanted to get him four innings. He rushed a little bit. The walks (three in 3+ IP) were unusual for him. He’d look good, then give up a walk. The (three) pitchers (after Hannah) have got to throw strikes (9 BBS). You’ve got to compete, especially against a team like Penn. If you are walking guys you are asking for it.”
An RBI double by Joe Chrapliwy and a two-run single by Silas Kaser in the bottom of the fourth brought Glenn back to within six, 13-7, but Penn put up matching three-spots in both the fifth and sixth innings to end the game due to the 10-run rule.
Of the 12 walks issued to Penn, seven of those runners eventually scored. The big hitters for the Kingsmen were plentiful: Ben Gregory (4-5, 2B, 3B, 3 RBIS, 3 Rs), Zach David (3-4, 2B, 2 RBIS, 3 Rs), Tuesley (2-5, HR, 5 RBIS, 2 Rs), Cam Dombrowski (2-4, 2B, 3 RBIS, 2Rs), and Cooper Hums (1-2, 3 RBIS, R).
For Glenn, Kaser (2 RBIS), Hannah (2B, HR, 3 RBIS) and Joey Shoue (3B) each had two hits.
“Penn always hits the ball,” added Nadolny. “It was 6-4, then we have that bad inning that
pushed it away. This was just our third game so I’m not going to go crazy. We struggled and made a few mistakes. That’s OK. We’ll get better.”
Glenn will host the Dick Reese Classic on Saturday. Knox, Morgan Township and Kankakee Valley are also in the field and each team is guaranteed two games. First pitch is 10 a.m. • PENN 19, GLENN 8
At Walkerton
Penn 303 733 - 19 15 2 Glenn 202 301 - 8 10 2 Brayden Schoetzow (W), Adam Lehman (5) and Lehman, Jackson Griffith (5); Brycen Hannah (L), Frank Lizzi (4), Bryce Smith (5), Lucas Bautista-amick (6) and Nathan Marshman.
2B: Zach David (P), Hannah (G), Cam Dombrowski (P), Joe Chrapliwy (G), Ben Gregory (P) 3B: Gregory (P), Colin Stephens (G), Joey Shoue (G)
HR: Hannah (G), Evan Tuesley (P) Records: Glenn 2-1 (1-1 NIC), Penn 4-2 (2-0 NIC)