Glenn outpitches Jimtown for NIC win
ELKHART — With this being the last year in the Northern Indiana Conference, the Glenn High School baseball team would love to exit with its fourth South Division title in a row. Led by a stellar pitching performance by Joe Chrapliwy and a timely hit by Marshall Platz, the Falcons took a major step to doing just that with a 3-1 win over Jimtown at Booster Field Monday.
“We’re 1-0 in the South,” said Glenn head coach John Nadolny. “This is a turning game for us as we move forward. If we lose, we’re 3-3 overall. Instead, we’re 4-2. That’s a big difference. And this was a big conference win and a road game. That’s a good start. Those are all good things.”
Throwing 111 pitches (120 is the limit) while going the distance, the Purdue-fort Wayne recruit Chrapliwy allowed just one scratch hit in the first inning, struck out seven, walked three, hit a batter and did not allow any earned runs.
“He threw like a Division I player today,” said Nadolny of the four-year varsity player. “That’s the best fastball he’s had in a while. He paced himself well. Sometimes he rushes, but this time he thought his way through it and didn’t just throw. Even when they got runners on, he kept his poise. We made a couple plays behind him and he got strikeouts when we needed it. We had a guy ready in the bullpen if needed, but Chrap threw like a senior.”
The only Jimmie run came in the fifth inning after an error, a stolen base and a passed ball.
Glenn scored its first run in the fourth inning. Freshman Mekhi Pulluaim and senior Sam Hodges hit back-to-back singles to start the frame, but the next two batters went out on a strikeout and pop-up off Jimtown ace Dalton Cook (7IP, 8H, 6K, 1BB, 97 pitches, 1ER) before Platz delivered a run-scoring single on the first pitch to him. It was Platz’s second hit of the game out of the No. 9 hole.
“That was a big hit,” said Nadolny of his senior second baseman. “Give him a ton of credit. That was a big, big knock for us.”
The Falcons added two insurance runs in the fifth on just one hit thanks to two errors from the Jimmie defense.
Besides Platz, Brayden Benwell also had two hits for the Falcons, including a double.
“I thought we hit the ball plenty,” concluded Nadolny. “We had a lot of chances to score (seven runners left on base). I’d like to see us string some more hits together for a little more cushion, but this was a good road win for us against a pretty good ballclub.”
Next up for Glenn is another key NIC South game when it hosts Bremen Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. weather permitting.
• GLENN 3, JIMTOWN 1
At Elkhart
Glenn 000 120 0 - 3 8 3 Jimtown 000 010 0 - 1 1 2
Joe Chrapliwy (W, 2-1) and AJ Braun; Dalton Cook (L) and Jackson Arbogast.
2B: Brayden Benwell (G) Records: Glenn 4-2-1 (1-1 NIC), Jimtown 5-4 (1-2 NIC)