Titans denied third straight trip to state tournament
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
There was precious little margin for error at Monday's Class 3A Sauget Super-Sectional baseball game at GCS Park.
With temperatures near 100 degrees, the Glenwood Titans and Waterloo Bulldogs battled for a spot in the 3A state tournament. A
victory would give the Titans their third straight state berth and a chance to defend their state title in 2010.
But the Bulldogs (32-3) made all the plays defensively, got seemingly every break and held on for a 1-0 victory, ending the Titans'
season at 28-11.
Glenwood ace Phil Maton (10-2) was his usual dominant self, allowing only an unearned run in the third. The Titans had plenty of
baserunners (11) but could not push any runs across.
"From a numbers standpoint, it makes no sense at all," GHS head coach Pat Moomey said. "We were given eight walks, one hit
batter and we had only two hits. And we had 11 baserunners and three strikeouts. We had 10 groundball outs, and usually if you put the
ball in play, good things will happen. We had a few breaks that went against us."
Moomey also noted that the wind was blowing in, a common theme during the team's 11 losses this season.
"Waterloo is a quality team, and I would put them on par with SHG. They beat Edwardsville and O'Fallon, and they made the plays
when they had to."
Maton pitched six innings and allowed three hits, striking out three and walking two. He also committed what proved to be a very
costly error in the third. He threw only 70 pitches and appeared in all five postseason games for the Titans.
Maton finished the season with a 0.53 ERA, allowing six earned runs in just under 80 innings pitched. Moomey's records indicate
that is the lowest single-season ERA for a Glenwood starter in school history.
Waterloo starter Alex Wittenauer (7-0) pitched into the fifth inning, allowing six walks and two hits before being lifted for shortstop Brad
Dillenberger, who walked two but got the final seven outs. The Titans also had two runners picked off first base by catcher Lucas Wetzler.
In the bottom of the third, Brian Schaab laid down a bunt with one out. Maton fielded the ball but bobbled the exchange and Schaab
reached on an error. After a flyout to center, Maton walked No. 2 hitter Dillenberger on a 3-2 pitch. Garrett Schlecht followed with an RBI
single to right for the game's only run. Maton struck out clean-up batter Wetzler to end the inning.
"Those two mistakes there cost us the game," Moomey explained. "But you gotta look pretty hard to find something negative with
Phil. I thought he hit his spots and made great pitches after they scored and kept us in the ballgame."
The Titans had two runners on in the first after walks to Mike Fiaush and Alex Bee, but Jake Lance was picked off first with two outs
and two on during a marathon at-bat by Nate Prindle.
With one out in the second, Maton doubled down the rightfield line, and with two outs Jake Mick walked. But David Hudson hit a popfly
to end the threat. In the third, Bee walked with two outs but was picked off first by Wetzler with clean-up batter Lance at the plate.
The fourth inning summed up the day for the Titans and their fans. Prindle doubled to left-center with one out, and with two outs Joos
walked. Mick then sent a deep fly to left-center, where two Waterloo defenders collided in trying to catch the ball, which CF Aaron Aycock
hung on to. The Bulldogs were getting all the breaks, and their huge crowd was getting more charged up with each passing inning.
Fiaush walked with two outs in the fifth, chasing Wittenauer for Dillenberger, who got Bee to ground out into a fielder's choice.
In the sixth inning, Prindle walked with one out and was balked to second. With two outs and Prindle on third base, the count on Joos
was 3-0. After taking two called strikes, Joos fouled one off before taking strike three as the Bulldog fans erupted.
Glenwood had one last chance in the seventh. After Mick flied out, pinch-hitter Kollin Taylor sent a liner down the right-field line that
landed foul by inches, at the most. He then grounded out on a 3-2 pitch.
Jake Fulks was hit by a pitch, and Fiaush walked. Bee hit a grounder to short, where the ball was bobbled but flipped to second for
the game-winning forceout on a very, very close play.
•"We were a good team, but when you lose 11 games, you have a few flaws, like most high school teams do," Moomey summed up.
"And those flaws showed themselves from time to time.
"We really stepped up in the postseason," he continued. "A lot of things had to go right for us to get to this point. But it's
disappointing; we had it set up the way we wanted. Then today you see two outfielders collide to catch a ball and Taylor's ball foul by
inches. Those are examples of the way things went out there. And that game could have happened any time in the last three years."
Glenwood has a 17-2 postseason record the past three years, the only losses coming to Waterloo and a 3-2 decision to Joliet
Catholic in the 2009 Class 3A state title game. GHS finished 42-2 in Central State Eight Conference games those three seasons.
•Fulks, the team's starting shortstop for three years, committing only three errors this season, an unheard of number.
"That's an incredible total for a shortstop," Moomey described.
As a team, the Titans played great defense in 2011, committing only 36 errors. Moomey could only find one year better in the record
books, when GHS had 34 errors in 2004.
Seniors on this year's team include Fulks, Maton, Joos, Fiaush, Lance, Hudson, Ian Richardson, Sam Ladd, Patrick Woerner, Aaron
Hearn, Max Rhodes and Jared Ryan.
"We had some kids get some experience this year," Moomey added. "Bee and (Colin) Brennan got some quality innings, and Josh
Giganti did a great job catching Bee in that Bloomington game. Fulks will be very hard to replace at shortstop."
•Moomey's coaching staff remains intact, but there could be changes next season. Top assistant John Hyde had to miss extended
practice time this season due to his teaching and union responsibilities, and there are other unknowns.
"Both Kyle Moomey and Adam Feld were in line for teaching jobs in the district, but they didn't get them," Moomey explained. "There's
a chance we could lose one or both of them. I know they are looking for full-time teaching jobs. I'm sure if we have to replace them we
will find quality people, but that means we will have to spend extra time to make sure those lower levels are run right."
A fallout from the above issues could mean Moomey keeps fewer kids on the varsity roster in 2012. There were 28 on this year's
team.
"We kept a lot of kids this year," he explained. "And all the parents and the kids were great. But looking at next year, we may not be
able to keep as many kids. We might have to make some cuts. It's going to be harder to coach the entire roster, with John not being
there as much and the possible other changes."
Final season stats
AVG - Lance .398, Bee .373, Prindle .354, Maton .350, Mick .339, Fulks .339, Joos .323, Taylor .286, Fiaush .271, Dowling .261,
Brennan .235, Hudson .208.
HR - Maton 9, Prindle 5, Bee 5, Lance 4, Joos 4, Blakeman 1, Fiaush 1, Fulks 1, Taylor 1.
RBI - Maton 34, Bee 34, Lance 32, Joos 31, Prindle 23, Fulks 19, Taylor 18, Fiaush 16, Mick 14.
HITS - Lance 43, Fulks 40, Bee 38, Maton 36, Prindle 34, Joos 31, Fiaush 26, Taylor 22, Mick 20, Hudson 11.
SB - Fulks 12, Fiaush 6, Taylor 5, Mick 4, Bee 3.
RUNS - Fiaush 37, Lance 34, Fulks 33, Maton 28, Prindle 24, Joos 20, Taylor 20, Bee 19, Mick 12.
PITCHING - Maton 10-2, 0.53 ERA, 79.1 IP, 38 H, 97 K, 16 BB.
Brennan 5-1, 2.04 ERA, 34.1 IP, 37 H, 21 K, 7 BB.
Bee 3-2, 2.22 ERA, 28.1 IP, 17 H, 27 K, 9 BB.
Woerner 5-2, 4.50 ERA, 37.1 IP, 42 H, 34 K, 13 BB.
Richardson 3-2, 25.1 IP, 25 H, 19 K, 12 BB.
Staggs 0-1, 3.06 ERA, 16 IP, 14 H, 11 K, 9 BB.
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
There was precious little margin for error at Monday's Class 3A Sauget Super-Sectional baseball game at GCS Park.
With temperatures near 100 degrees, the Glenwood Titans and Waterloo Bulldogs battled for a spot in the 3A state tournament. A
victory would give the Titans their third straight state berth and a chance to defend their state title in 2010.
But the Bulldogs (32-3) made all the plays defensively, got seemingly every break and held on for a 1-0 victory, ending the Titans'
season at 28-11.
Glenwood ace Phil Maton (10-2) was his usual dominant self, allowing only an unearned run in the third. The Titans had plenty of
baserunners (11) but could not push any runs across.
"From a numbers standpoint, it makes no sense at all," GHS head coach Pat Moomey said. "We were given eight walks, one hit
batter and we had only two hits. And we had 11 baserunners and three strikeouts. We had 10 groundball outs, and usually if you put the
ball in play, good things will happen. We had a few breaks that went against us."
Moomey also noted that the wind was blowing in, a common theme during the team's 11 losses this season.
"Waterloo is a quality team, and I would put them on par with SHG. They beat Edwardsville and O'Fallon, and they made the plays
when they had to."
Maton pitched six innings and allowed three hits, striking out three and walking two. He also committed what proved to be a very
costly error in the third. He threw only 70 pitches and appeared in all five postseason games for the Titans.
Maton finished the season with a 0.53 ERA, allowing six earned runs in just under 80 innings pitched. Moomey's records indicate
that is the lowest single-season ERA for a Glenwood starter in school history.
Waterloo starter Alex Wittenauer (7-0) pitched into the fifth inning, allowing six walks and two hits before being lifted for shortstop Brad
Dillenberger, who walked two but got the final seven outs. The Titans also had two runners picked off first base by catcher Lucas Wetzler.
In the bottom of the third, Brian Schaab laid down a bunt with one out. Maton fielded the ball but bobbled the exchange and Schaab
reached on an error. After a flyout to center, Maton walked No. 2 hitter Dillenberger on a 3-2 pitch. Garrett Schlecht followed with an RBI
single to right for the game's only run. Maton struck out clean-up batter Wetzler to end the inning.
"Those two mistakes there cost us the game," Moomey explained. "But you gotta look pretty hard to find something negative with
Phil. I thought he hit his spots and made great pitches after they scored and kept us in the ballgame."
The Titans had two runners on in the first after walks to Mike Fiaush and Alex Bee, but Jake Lance was picked off first with two outs
and two on during a marathon at-bat by Nate Prindle.
With one out in the second, Maton doubled down the rightfield line, and with two outs Jake Mick walked. But David Hudson hit a popfly
to end the threat. In the third, Bee walked with two outs but was picked off first by Wetzler with clean-up batter Lance at the plate.
The fourth inning summed up the day for the Titans and their fans. Prindle doubled to left-center with one out, and with two outs Joos
walked. Mick then sent a deep fly to left-center, where two Waterloo defenders collided in trying to catch the ball, which CF Aaron Aycock
hung on to. The Bulldogs were getting all the breaks, and their huge crowd was getting more charged up with each passing inning.
Fiaush walked with two outs in the fifth, chasing Wittenauer for Dillenberger, who got Bee to ground out into a fielder's choice.
In the sixth inning, Prindle walked with one out and was balked to second. With two outs and Prindle on third base, the count on Joos
was 3-0. After taking two called strikes, Joos fouled one off before taking strike three as the Bulldog fans erupted.
Glenwood had one last chance in the seventh. After Mick flied out, pinch-hitter Kollin Taylor sent a liner down the right-field line that
landed foul by inches, at the most. He then grounded out on a 3-2 pitch.
Jake Fulks was hit by a pitch, and Fiaush walked. Bee hit a grounder to short, where the ball was bobbled but flipped to second for
the game-winning forceout on a very, very close play.
•"We were a good team, but when you lose 11 games, you have a few flaws, like most high school teams do," Moomey summed up.
"And those flaws showed themselves from time to time.
"We really stepped up in the postseason," he continued. "A lot of things had to go right for us to get to this point. But it's
disappointing; we had it set up the way we wanted. Then today you see two outfielders collide to catch a ball and Taylor's ball foul by
inches. Those are examples of the way things went out there. And that game could have happened any time in the last three years."
Glenwood has a 17-2 postseason record the past three years, the only losses coming to Waterloo and a 3-2 decision to Joliet
Catholic in the 2009 Class 3A state title game. GHS finished 42-2 in Central State Eight Conference games those three seasons.
•Fulks, the team's starting shortstop for three years, committing only three errors this season, an unheard of number.
"That's an incredible total for a shortstop," Moomey described.
As a team, the Titans played great defense in 2011, committing only 36 errors. Moomey could only find one year better in the record
books, when GHS had 34 errors in 2004.
Seniors on this year's team include Fulks, Maton, Joos, Fiaush, Lance, Hudson, Ian Richardson, Sam Ladd, Patrick Woerner, Aaron
Hearn, Max Rhodes and Jared Ryan.
"We had some kids get some experience this year," Moomey added. "Bee and (Colin) Brennan got some quality innings, and Josh
Giganti did a great job catching Bee in that Bloomington game. Fulks will be very hard to replace at shortstop."
•Moomey's coaching staff remains intact, but there could be changes next season. Top assistant John Hyde had to miss extended
practice time this season due to his teaching and union responsibilities, and there are other unknowns.
"Both Kyle Moomey and Adam Feld were in line for teaching jobs in the district, but they didn't get them," Moomey explained. "There's
a chance we could lose one or both of them. I know they are looking for full-time teaching jobs. I'm sure if we have to replace them we
will find quality people, but that means we will have to spend extra time to make sure those lower levels are run right."
A fallout from the above issues could mean Moomey keeps fewer kids on the varsity roster in 2012. There were 28 on this year's
team.
"We kept a lot of kids this year," he explained. "And all the parents and the kids were great. But looking at next year, we may not be
able to keep as many kids. We might have to make some cuts. It's going to be harder to coach the entire roster, with John not being
there as much and the possible other changes."
Final season stats
AVG - Lance .398, Bee .373, Prindle .354, Maton .350, Mick .339, Fulks .339, Joos .323, Taylor .286, Fiaush .271, Dowling .261,
Brennan .235, Hudson .208.
HR - Maton 9, Prindle 5, Bee 5, Lance 4, Joos 4, Blakeman 1, Fiaush 1, Fulks 1, Taylor 1.
RBI - Maton 34, Bee 34, Lance 32, Joos 31, Prindle 23, Fulks 19, Taylor 18, Fiaush 16, Mick 14.
HITS - Lance 43, Fulks 40, Bee 38, Maton 36, Prindle 34, Joos 31, Fiaush 26, Taylor 22, Mick 20, Hudson 11.
SB - Fulks 12, Fiaush 6, Taylor 5, Mick 4, Bee 3.
RUNS - Fiaush 37, Lance 34, Fulks 33, Maton 28, Prindle 24, Joos 20, Taylor 20, Bee 19, Mick 12.
PITCHING - Maton 10-2, 0.53 ERA, 79.1 IP, 38 H, 97 K, 16 BB.
Brennan 5-1, 2.04 ERA, 34.1 IP, 37 H, 21 K, 7 BB.
Bee 3-2, 2.22 ERA, 28.1 IP, 17 H, 27 K, 9 BB.
Woerner 5-2, 4.50 ERA, 37.1 IP, 42 H, 34 K, 13 BB.
Richardson 3-2, 25.1 IP, 25 H, 19 K, 12 BB.
Staggs 0-1, 3.06 ERA, 16 IP, 14 H, 11 K, 9 BB.
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Issue Date: June 9, 2011
