Glenwood takes two from Denison on road

    The Glenwood baseball team improved to 9-2 in the Hawkeye 10 Conference with a pair of come-from-behind wins over Denison on Thursday.
    The Rams (18-10 overall) won game one 8-5 and then scored four runs in the top of the seventh to edge the Monarchs (13-15 overall, 8-9 in the conference) 9-6 in the nightcap.
    “They were great wins,” said Glenwood coach Bret Elam. “First of all, we needed a win coming after the St. Albert game and how ugly that was. But we played catch up all game and kept fighting and fighting.”
    Elam said the key for the Rams in the conference sweep came in the top of the seventh inning in game one. Freshman designated hitter Dru Little battled Monarch reliever Parker Eller in a 13-pitch at-bat with two runners on. Little eventually got the pitch he wanted and smacked a 3-2 pitch into the gap to plate two runs and give the Rams a 8-5 lead heading into the final frame.
    “He had two huge at-bats but that one was really big,” Elam said. “We tell the kids the longer you can stay up there and the more pitches you can see the better your odds of getting a hit. Doesn’t matter how pretty or ugly the swing is but he stayed alive and when all was said and done he doubles and we’re up three instead of one heading into the bottom of the seventh.”
    The three-run lead was all Alec Forbes needed to slam the door on the Monarchs in a scoreless seventh.
    Forbes earned the save in both wins, allowing one hit and no earned runs in a combined 2 2/3 innings of work.
    Glenwood trailed 5-1 after three innings in game two before once again rallying late. The Rams plated two runs each in the fourth and fifth to trim the lead to 6-1.
    The score would remain the same into the seventh
    “We just got more patient at the plate as the game’s went on,” Elam said. “Their starter (senior Austin Eller) wasn’t throwing real hard so they went to their first reliever again (Parker Eller) and we stopped slowing our bats down and settled down and had some good at-bats and found some holes.”
    Elam said Little came up big again for the Rams, doubling in an driving in two runs to keep a four runs seventh.
    Grant Stivers started and allowed seven hits and five earned runs over five innings before giving way to Forbes who closed out the win with a pair of hitless innings.
    “He slammed the door,” Elam said of his junior closer. “He’s been huge for us all year coming on in relief multiple times a week in almost any situation for the most part.
    “He enjoys the role. We asked him if wants to get a start here or there and get his pitch count up and he doesn’t care too. He knows if he does, he wouldn’t be able to pitch for a few days and we can use him in key situations this way.”
    Forbes was 4-for-5 with three doubles and two RBIs in the wins. Little had four hits and four RBIs .

Glenwood’s Justin Fisher allowed six hits and five earned runs over two innings in Glenwood’s 12-1 loss to LeMars on Saturday.

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LeMars 12,
Glenwood 1, 4 innings
    LeMars jumped on Glenwood for a nine run lead after three innings and never looked back in a 12-1, four-inning victory over the Rams on Saturday.
    The Bulldogs roughed up Ram starter Justin Fisher for six hits and seven runs (five earned) run over the first two innings. Nolan Robinson came on to pitch the final two innings, allowing three hits and five earned runs.
    “Justin’s kind of a Jekyl and Hyde pitcher for us,” said Glenwood coach Brett Elam. “We sometimes don’t know which pitcher is going to come out for us and he looked like he was going through the motions a little bit. His pitches were up and he got in trouble.”
    Glenwood finished with four hits, but none went for extra-bases. Tyler Jensen was 2-for-2 with an RBI, a walk and a stolen base. Grant Stivers and Brady Douma had the Rams’ other two hits.

Glenwood 4,
C.B. Thomas Jefferson 3
    Glenwood got up early 2-0 on Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson but had two rally for two runs in the bottom of the fifth to post a 4-3 victory over the non-conference Yellowjackets on Friday.
    “We got up 2-0 early and we kind of started cruising and we all know in high school baseball, two runs is nothing,” said Glenwood coach Bret Elam. “We threw the ball away a few times, gave them a three-run inning and found a way to get a couple more runs.”    
    The Yellowjackets plated three runs in the top of the fifth thanks to two Glenwood fielding miscues. The Rams responded with a two-run bottom half of the inning and two innings of shutout relief by Tyler Jensen.
    “They (T.J.) might only have three or four wins on the season but that isn’t indicative  of how hard they play. That team is night and day difference from how they played last year,” Elam said.
    Nolan Robinson had two hits, including a triple and an RBI in the win. Jensen and Brady Wheeler each drove in a run.

C.B. St. Albert 13,
Glenwood 3
    Glenwood scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning but that’s all the offense the Rams could muster in a 13-3 loss to Council Bluffs St. Albert last Tuesday.
    The Rams had four of their seven hits in the first frame before Falcon righty Josh Hecker took over the rest of the way, scattering three hits and fanning five.
    “After that first inning we didn’t make a play,” Glenwood coach Bret Elam said. “There’s something to be said for handing the other teams runs and free base runners. We sort of go as our pitching and defense go.”
    The Rams committed eight errors in the game with six of the Falcons’ first eight runs coming via error.
     Justin Fisher took the loss after tossing the complete-game for Glenwood. The junior right-hander allowed 11 hits but just six of the 13 runs he allowed were earned.
    Alec Forbes had three hits and drove in a run for Glenwood. Brady Douma added two hits and Mitch Bowden drove in two runs.