Mike Glinatsis fired a complete game, four-hitter while player-manager Jon Wallace had two hits, including the game-winner as the Boardman FOG defeated Niles RJS, 2-1 in Youngstown Oldtimers 50+ Baseball League, Inc., 50+ league action this past Sunday at Boardman High School.
The win marked the 11th straight for the FOG, who have not lost since May 30 when Chester (West Virginia) handed them an 8-1 setback and an 0-2 start to their season.
Siting at 11-2 overall now, Glinatsis allowed just one hit – a two-out single by Tom Pitko in the sixth inning – over the last five innings in a game that he needed just 83 pitches to complete. “I struggled earlier in the season to get that first batter of every inning retired but today it all came together for me and I felt really, really good. That was the key,” Glinatsis said after the game. “Our defense was phenomenal, turning three double plays including a game-ending twin killing.
“Today, we came up big when we needed it most, took advantage of our early opportunities and then let our defense do the rest. You win when you do the little things and today we were fundamentally sound.”
Chuck Nardone led off Boardman’s first inning with a single, advanced to second base when Mark Gozur reached on an error and after Nardone was erased on Cedric Hawkins’ fielder’s choice, Carmen Nocera drove home Gozur with his opposite field single for the early 1-0 advantage.
In the RJS second inning, Mike Holisky reached on an error to start the frame, moved to second on Ed Mortimer’s single then loaded the bases on Tom Franken’s single. Ron Mortimer then followed by hitting into a twin killing, scoring Holisky to knot the game at 1-all.
The FOG took the lead back for good in their half of the second when Butch Angelucci led off with a walk, advanced to second base on Mark Cherol’s ground out then scored what turned out to be the game winning run, a single by Wallace to the opposite field for a 2-1 margin and the end of the scoring.
“I hit a curve on a ball that was low and away and on an 0-2 count,” Wallace added. “RJS is an excellent team and we knew that it would be a tight game. They are an excellent hitting team and Mike [Glinatsis] did one excellent job the entire time of keeping them off balance when they were in the batter’s box.
“When you turn three double plays, including one to end the game then that tells me our defense is playing their very best and at the right time as we are in the home stretch of our schedule with play-offs right around the corner.”
Boardman returns to action on Sunday when they play host to Salem at the Boardman High School Sports Complex. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.
50’S REMAINING GAMES
Sunday, August 15 – CHESTER, 2 p.m.
Sunday, August 29 – GIRARD, 2 p.m.
Sunday, September 5 – vs. RJS @Boardman Field of Dreams, 2 p.m
This article was republished here with permission from the Boardman News.
