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Send Late mistakes cost St. Joseph baseball in semi-state

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Late mistakes cost St. Joseph baseball in semi-state

Posted: 2:38 PM Jun 15, 2012
Reporter: Marcus Wekenmann

The St. Joseph baseball team came out strong and rallied late in the state semifinal, but ultimately fell to Bay City John Glenn in eight innings, 6-5.

The Bears capitalized on two errors and four hits in the first inning to jump out to a 3-0 lead.

Having been spotted a lead, St. Joe pitcher Charles Fleenor cruised through five innings of shut-out baseball. In the sixth, Bay City strung together three-straight two-out hits to knock Fleenor out of the game. Fleenor struck out seven and walked only one. He was charged with four earned runs in the sixth.

With a 4-4 tie in the seventh, St. Joe rallied. Fleenor started the action with a one-out base hit to right and advanced to second on a passed ball. After giving up a single and intentionally walking a batter, John Glenn pitcher Zach Olszewski balked to bring Fleenor across as the go-ahead run.

Anthony Montoya was brought in to preserve the win in the bottom of the seventh but gave up a lead-off hit, two walks, and hit a batter to give up the tying run.

With one out in the John Glenn eighth, Olszewski sent a single into right field to score Aaron Martin—who had reached on an error and advanced to second via sacrifice—and a walk-off victory.

The trip to semi-state was the first in St. Joseph baseball history.