No. 8 Glenbrook South claims second straight CSL title

May 22, 2014

By Sean Duncan
Executive Director

GLENVIEW, IL – The Central Suburban League championship game was going just as conference season had played out, which is to say No. 8 Glenbrook South was in cruise control against Highland Park.

Some shoddy defensive play by the Titans made it interesting in the seventh inning, but Glenbrook South hung on to claim its second consecutive Central Suburban League championship with a 5-3 victory on Thursday.

Glenbrook South junior ace right-hander Fitz Stadler (8-0) carried a 5-0 shutout into the seventh inning before the Giants (19-11) showed some life, sparked by a leadoff double by Zach Nankin. A walk, and an infield single loaded the bases, and Highland Park scored its first run on a catcher’s interference. Stadler bore down to get a strike out with an 86 mph fastball, and then rolled what appeared to be the game-ending groundout, but the Titans made their fifth error of the game to allow two more runs to score.

The situation looked dire when Matt Lowy ripped a shot to right field, but Paul Jones fought off the sun and made a leaping grab to end the game.

The 6-foot-8, 220-pound Stadler pitched 6.2 innings, yielding four hits (two of the infield variety) and no earned runs to remain unbeaten on the season. He struck out three, walked three, and made several athletic defensive plays. In the fourth inning, when Highland Park had runners on first and second with no outs, Stadler turned a double play on a popped-up sacrifice bunt. He also picked a runner off at first base.

Glenbrook South (27-4) scored three runs in the fifth inning to give the Titans a 5-0 advantage. The inning was aided by three Highland Park walks, and Cody Carroll and Jones each had sacrifice flies in the inning. Carroll, a Bradley recruit, drove in a pair of runs with sac flies, scored a run and made a sliding catch in centerfield to end the sixth inning.

Shortstop Mario Tursi added a run-scoring single in the fourth, and junior left-handed hitting first baseman Ben Samborn laced a double down the left field line, walked and scored a run for the Titans.

No. 8 Glenbrook South claims second straight CSL title

Related Content