Rams one win from state

The Glenwood baseball team avenged a pair of regular season losses and moved within a win of the state tournament with a 5-4 victory over Harlan in Class 3A, Substate 8 semifinals in Harlan Monday night.

The Rams (19-9) advanced to play top ranked Council Bluffs Lewis Central (30-3) in Wednesday’s substate finals in Council Bluffs.

Against the Cyclones (24-7), who swept the regular season series 7-3 and 19-12, the Rams trailed 2-0 after the first inning but then struck for four in the top of the second and held on for the win.

“We didn’t fold,” said Glenwood coach Kurt Schultz. “We had some chances that first inning and didn’t do it and they scored two unearned on an error in the bottom half but we came back and go four. Not sure how many of ours were earned. They had some errors too.”

The early lead was all starting pitcher Jayme Fritts needed in the win.

“This was his best outing of the year,” Schultz said. “He said he felt as loose as he had all year. He had had eight strikeouts which is good. He battled and get down in the count and come right back. It was a gutsy performance, no doubt.”

Fritts scattered three hits and two earned runs and struck out eigh in six innings before giving way to Risto Lappala in the seventh. Lappala retired the Cyclones in order to notch the save.

Caleb Dressel, Austin Patton and Kayden Anderson each had two hits to lead Glenwood. Dressel and Anderson each drove in runs.

Brayden Ernst took the loss for the Cyclones after allowing seven hits and two earned runs.