
Shea Glotzbach scores twice on dropped third strikes, earns save as Lemont gets past Oak Forest. ‘Found a way.'
The senior third baseman went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts at the plate Thursday. He also made two straight errors in the field and then gave up a run during the only inning that he pitched.
And he still was the difference-maker.
'He's one of our best players on our team for a reason,' Lemont coach Brian Storako said of Glotzbach. 'He didn't have a great day at the plate. We all know that. We all saw that.
'But he found a way to make a difference. That's all we ask those kids to do. It they don't have their best day, they have to find a way to make a difference.'
On two of those strikeouts, Glotzbach reached on dropped third strikes and scored both times as Lemont survived for a 7-6 win over Oak Forest in a Class 3A St. Laurence semifinal in Burbank.
Glotzbach, a Missouri-St. Louis recruit, earned the save by pitching out of a jam in the seventh inning for Lemont (29-7-1), which plays at 11 a.m. Saturday for the sectional title against St. Laurence (33-5), which beat St. Rita 5-0 in the other semifinal on 12 strikeouts by Jimmy Benson and two hits, two runs and two RBIs from Cory Les.
Jacob Parr added two hits and three RBIs for Lemont, while Brett Tucker doubled home a pair of runs in the first inning. Nick Reno picked up the pitching win, allowing two runs in five innings.
Kevin Sullivan had three hits for Oak Forest (23-14-1). Vince Webber drove in two runs.
Even with everything he went through, Glotzbach was happy about Thursday's win. Lemont finished second in the state last spring in Class 3A and was focused on taking another step.
'It's about doing anything to win,' Glotzbach said. 'It's all about winning. It's not about stat padding or anything like that. Me striking out and getting on base — that's all I can do.
'I can't go back and retry, so I have to take my opportunities and make the most out of them.'
While Glotzbach was grinding out his unique game, teammate Matthew Devoy pitched an unconventional sixth inning.
Devoy, who is also going to Missouri-St. Louis, entered with no outs and two runners on. He struck out the first two batters he faced, hit the next, walked two more and struck out the final batter.
'I executed against the first two hitters,' Devoy said. 'But there was one call that did not go my way and I didn't take it the right way.
'I started to aim my pitches. I short-armed the ball and walked a lot of guys, but I'm just happy that my teammates had my back.'
Devoy was impressed with how Glotzbach was able to bounce back from all of the adversity and pin down the victory for Lemont.
'I really knew Shea was going to get it done,' Devoy said of Glotzbach. 'He didn't allow any of the mistakes he made in the entire game affect him on the mound.
'He's always been a stone-cold guy.'
Glotzbach's confidence was tested in the fifth inning when he was charged with back-to-back errors. On the next play, he fired a high throw that the 6-foot-5 Parr brought down at first base before a collision with an Oak Forest runner.
'They were just messed up plays and reading the ball wrong,' Glotzbach said. 'I was trying to do too much and was thinking too much.
'I know myself and I know I've been there before, so I knew I could come back and do better.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cardinals host the Padres on 3-game home win streak
San Diego Padres (55-49, second in the NL West) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (54-51, fourth in the NL Central) St. Louis; Saturday, 7:15 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Padres: Randy Vasquez (3-4, 3.73 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 50 strikeouts); Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore (6-7, 4.13 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 80 strikeouts) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cardinals -157, Padres +130; over/under is 9 runs BOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Cardinals will try to keep a three-game home win streak alive when they take on the San Diego Padres. St. Louis has a 54-51 record overall and a 31-20 record in home games. The Cardinals have gone 24-6 in games when they hit two or more home runs. San Diego has gone 24-31 on the road and 55-49 overall. The Padres have a 29-10 record in games when they scored at least five runs. Saturday's game is the third time these teams meet this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Brendan Donovan has a .293 batting average to lead the Cardinals, and has 24 doubles and nine home runs. Willson Contreras is 13 for 37 with two home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games. Manny Machado has 24 doubles and 19 home runs for the Padres. Luis Arraez is 13 for 39 with three doubles over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Cardinals: 4-6, .260 batting average, 5.19 ERA, outscored by 16 runs Padres: 4-6, .259 batting average, 3.18 ERA, outscored opponents by four runs INJURIES: Cardinals: Nolan Gorman: 10-Day IL (back), Lars Nootbaar: 10-Day IL (ribs), Zack Thompson: 60-Day IL (lat) Padres: Michael King: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Jhony Brito: 60-Day IL (forearm), Joe Musgrove: 60-Day IL (elbow) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
1 fatal flaw St. Louis Cardinals must address before 2025 MLB trade deadline
The post 1 fatal flaw St. Louis Cardinals must address before 2025 MLB trade deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints. Of every team in Major League Baseball, none have been a more pleasant surprise than the St. Louis Cardinals. The team entered the season hoping to remain competitive for a short stretch before general manager Michael Girsch sold their veterans on the trade market. Now, however, the Cardinals could try to upgrade pieces like Nolan Arenado with someone like Eugenio Suarez. The difference between the Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis is four games. However, the Cardinals' situation is far better than the Diamondbacks'. Girsch's team has upset other general managers upset with the fact that they have not thrown in the towel. While that could come at any time, teams around the league are watching St. Louis very closely ahead of the trade deadline. If the Cardinals were to keep things together and try to sneak into the National League playoffs, they need to address their lack of power. Despite having a winning record, St. Louis sits in the bottom ten of the league in home runs as a team. They are still in the top ten in runs scored, but one of those two stats has to give in the second half of the regular season. The Cardinals' direction as a franchise appears to have been put on hold. If they can keep up with the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, they have a chance at the playoffs. However, there are young players on the roster that need opportunities to develop. It is notoriously difficult for MLB teams to walk that thin line for a full season. Girsch is the leader of one of the most respected front offices in the league. If he brings in a player to add some power to the roster, St. Louis could make a run. The Cardinals' offense needs to catch up to their pitching soon Arenado's arrival in St. Louis in 2021 generated a lot of fanfare. Four years later, the fanbase is ready to see him leave the Cardinals' roster. However, clutch swings from the veteran third baseman have lifted St. Louis to wins. While the Cardinals will take all 10 of the home runs he has hit so far this season, he represents a big problem with the team's offensive attack. St. Louis has never been a team focused on hitting home runs. However, if Arenado is third on the team with 10, that is a big problem. In a league where offenses are as good as they have ever been, the Cardinals have to keep pace. In it's current state, their roster is woefully outmatched by almost every other team in the league. At the end of the day, they need more power. St. Louis' manager, Oliver Marmol, deserves a lot of credit. He has made the most of the Cardinals' pitching staff and scrapped together 51 wins heading into the All-Star break. However, he has his work cut out for him in the second half. According to him, Marmol is having fun managing the Cardinals' roster. However, he needs a boost in order to guide them into the playoffs. Who can the Cardinals bring in to supercharge their offense? Suarez earned the second All-Star nod of his career at 33 years old. He has put on legendary performances for the Diamondbacks this season. The third baseman is not the biggest name, but he sits in fourth place in the home run race with 31. He is unlikely to keep pace with Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh, but he is on pace for a career year when it comes to power. Suarez's success has many teams interested in adding him at the deadline. The Diamondbacks have not completely given up on the 2025 season, but they are close. When Arizona lost Corbin Burnes to a season-ending injury, that all but ended the Diamondbacks' chance at the NL playoffs. Now, they are a team that contenders could strip bare via trades before the deadline. Suarez and Gallen are the first two Arizona players that experts talk about when predicting trades. Both players have the ability to propel a team into the inner circle of title contenders. However, their price tags could prove expensive when talks get serious. However, teams like the Cardinals could be willing to give the Diamondbacks whatever they want in return for their infielder. If St. Louis does end up securing Suarez via trade, he slots in as their designated hitter. While the Cardinals have wanted to move Arenado for months, it looks like he is not going anywhere. In that case, their new third baseman would be used solely for his bat. Ironically, that could be the role that he brings the most value in. With him, power becomes less of a concern and playoff games in St. Louis become a real possibility. Related: Cardinals drop hilarious 'Coldplay' post amid Jumbotron controversy Related: Cardinals officially sign first-round pick after All-Star break
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cardinals rumors: Trade calls ringing off the hook after Diamondbacks debacle
The post Cardinals rumors: Trade calls ringing off the hook after Diamondbacks debacle appeared first on ClutchPoints. With the trade deadline slowly approaching, the St. Louis Cardinals seem to have been in a space where they felt like they did not have to be sellers. Before the All-Star break, they were battling to stay within range of the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, and one good run could see them catapult near the top. Unfortunately, the opposite happened, and they were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks. That led teams to start calling the Cardinals to see if they had changed their mind about staying pat before the deadline. 'People realized it was a tough weekend for us,' general manager John Mozeliak said via The Athletics. 'Where we are in the standings definitely affects our decision-making going forward. Playing those three games and losing all three was not helpful.' With where the Cardinals were in the standings before the break, it made sense to keep their team together, but now, things are looking interesting days before the July 31 date. 'The Cardinals retained veteran players such as Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray without making significant investments in their major-league payroll to push forward. While creating opportunities for young talent, the Cardinals did not go all-in and replenish their farm system by trading, for example, All-Star closer Ryan Helsey. In this bridge season, the Cardinals have been largely competitive and mostly unexceptional,' The Athletic wrote. There are several players on the Cardinals that teams have their eyes on, and Arenado has constantly been in trade rumors. Recently, Mozeliak let it be known that he sees Arenado as a part of the future for the team, but if something were to come up, he'd discuss that with him. Depending on how things go these next couple of days for the Cardinals, it will be interesting to see what they do in the market. Related: Cardinals DFA trade candidate Related: MLB rumors: Why Cardinals-Tigers Nolan Arenado trade makes sense