Falcons clinch 2nd in the NIC with win #21
WALKERTON — Second place for high school baseball in the rugged Northern Indiana Conference was on the line Monday as Class 3A No. 9 Glenn hosted Mishawaka Marian.
Led by solid pitching from Colin Stephens, good defense and an opportunistic offense, it was the Falcons coming away with the 5-2 victory over the Knights. Glenn had previously locked up the South Division and now has guaranteed at least a second-place tie with South Bend Saint Joseph, who has one NIC game still to play.
“This was a nice win for us,” said Glenn head coach John Nadolny. “We need to play games like this.”
The Falcons (21-2, 9-2 NIC) have been lights out against non-conference opponents (12-0) and its only two losses were to Penn and St. Joseph in NIC play. The stiff conference competition though, is good preparation for the fast-approaching postseason where the Falcons have big goals.
“Marian is a talented, young, good-hitting team,” Nadolny said about the Knights (13-5, 8-3 NIC). “Colin didn’t have his best stuff, but he sucked it up, got through six innings without any big issues, then Brycen (Hannah) shut the door.”
The senior Stephens scattered six hits, struck out two, did not walk a batter, but plunked two. Two of the hits came on back-to-back batters in the fifth inning and both eventually scored - one on an uncharacteristic passed ball and the other on a wild pitch. Those runs though made it 2-all, as Glenn had scored a pair in the second inning
without the benefit of a hit, but instead coming off five walks and a couple Marian wild pitches.
The Falcons took a 4-2 lead in the fifth on an RBI double from Hannah that just missed being a home run by about two feet, and an RBI groundout by Nathan Marshman. The home team added an insurance run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Frankie Lizzie. Stephens shut down the Knights in order in the sixth inning, then Hannah did the same in the seventh to close it out.
“We get guys on base,” Nadolny said of his team’s potent offense. “One knock here or there and we’re going to score. Brycen didn’t get cheated (on the RBI double) and that insurance run was nice to have. We played good defense and didn’t give them any extra outs.”
Defensive highlights included the Falcons turning a 6-4-3 double play to end the fourth inning, with Lizzie making a nice dig on the relay throw. Marshman made a difficult catch on a tricky foul popup in the fifth as well.
Silas Kaser had two of Glenn’s six hits. JJ Oliver and Bryce Lasane had a pair each to lead Marian.
This was the first of six games scheduled for Glenn this week. Next up is today at home against Lacrosse, followed by Elkhart Christian Thursday (home), Laville Friday (away) and two games at the Berrien Springs Invitational Saturday.
• GLENN 5, MISHAWAKA MARIAN 2
At Walkerton
Marian 000 020 0 - 2 6 0
Glenn 020 021 x - 5 5 0
Chase Bays (L), Henry Singer (5), Nico Galea (6) and Evann Schmidentdorf; Colin Stephens (W, 6-0), Brycen Hannah (6) and Nathan Marshman.
2B: JJ Oliver (M), Hannah (G)
Records: Glenn 21-2 (9-2 NIC), Marian 13-5 (8-3 NIC)