The Pilot News

Falcons win streak snapped at 15

- By Ron Haramia Sports Writer

SOUTH BEND — If you’ve ever watched a great movie only to see it have a horrible ending then you know how the Glenn HS baseball team and its fans felt after Wednesday’s 2-1 Northern Indiana Conference loss to South Bend Saint Joseph at the North Athletic Field Complex.

“We gave them that one,” said Glenn head coach John Nadolny, whose 10th-ranked team came in riding a 15-game winning streak. “We flushed it away.”

Through five innings, the two top-echelon NIC teams were in the midst of a scoreless pitcher’s duel between Glenn’s Brycen Hannah and St. Joe’s Carson Collins. Then in the top of the sixth inning, Nathan Marshman’s twoout single drove in a run for the Falcons before another scoreless inning from Hannah in the bottom half.

The score was still 1-0 heading to the bottom of the seventh, but on a hot and humid evening Hannah’s night from the mound was finished. In six innings, the right-hander allowed just three hits, struck out five, walked none and hit one batter.

“He pitched a great game, maybe his best game all year, but he was gassed,” added Nadolny.

In the bottom of the seventh, the first batter for St. Joe flew out to right field. Julian Kamanda then collected just the fourth hit of the game for the Indians, but it happened to be a solo home run to tie the score.

The next batter walked. The No. 7 hitter in the lineup then came to the plate. He had struck out twice in the two at-bats before, but this time hit what looked like a potential inning-ending double play ball to send the game to extra innings. Unfortunat­ely, the relay throw misfired to keep the inning alive. Now with two outs and a runner on first, pinch-runner Marvin Lopez was on the move when the next batter hit a dribbler in front of the mound. The throw for the third out sailed into foul territory down the rightfield line though, and Lopez was able to score all the way from first to end the game.

“It was a great high school baseball game, but just a jaw-dropper at the end,” Nadolny said.

Eight of the nine spots in the Falcons’ lineup had hits, with Hannah and Silas Kaser each getting two.

The loss puts Glenn and St. Joe in a tie for second in the NIC with one conference game remaining and no chance to catch undefeated Penn.

The Falcons will have to get over the disappoint­ing loss quickly as Wednesday’s game was the first of four away games in four days - and five games total for the week. Today they are at Westville, Friday at Rochester and Saturday at Class 1A No. 18 Morgan Township. Next Monday is the final NIC contest, versus Mishawaka Marian in Walkerton.

• SB ST. JOSEPH 2, GLENN 1 At South Bend Glenn 000 001 0 - 1 10 2 St. Joe 000 000 2 - 2 4 1 Brycen Hannah, Joe Chrapliwy (7, L) and Nathan Marshman; Carson Collins (W) and Owen Balint. 2B: Chase Miller (G) HR: Julian Kamanda (SJ) Records: Glenn 17-2 (8-2 NIC), St. Joseph 11-5 (8-2 NIC)

 ?? PILOT PHOTO/RON HARAMIA ?? Glenn’s Silas Kaser gets ready to apply the tag as a St. Joe runner is gunned down trying to steal by Falcons catcher Nathan Marshman.
PILOT PHOTO/RON HARAMIA Glenn’s Silas Kaser gets ready to apply the tag as a St. Joe runner is gunned down trying to steal by Falcons catcher Nathan Marshman.
 ?? PILOT PHOTO/RON HARAMIA ?? Glenn’s Nathan Marshman had the only RBI for the Falcons during their 2-1 loss to St. Joe Monday.
PILOT PHOTO/RON HARAMIA Glenn’s Nathan Marshman had the only RBI for the Falcons during their 2-1 loss to St. Joe Monday.
 ?? PILOT PHOTO/RON HARAMIA ?? Glenn’s Brycen Hannah delivers a pitch during NIC action Wednesday.
PILOT PHOTO/RON HARAMIA Glenn’s Brycen Hannah delivers a pitch during NIC action Wednesday.

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