The Glen Rock Panthers varsity baseball team suffered a heartbreaking loss (3-2) to the Hawthorne Cubs through five innings, ending in treacherous weather conditions.

The game was called by the umpires in the fifth inning due to the hazardous conditions caused by the rain. The Panthers trailed the Cubs 3-2 and were set for a comeback, but they exited at the bottom of the 5^th with bases loaded.

Since high school baseball games can be officially called after five completed innings, it leaves one to wonder whether the Panthers could have pulled out a win in a complete seven inning game.

“It is hard to say whether or not we would have come back if given the opportunity. I have always fought in my 11 years as a head coach for the rule to be to play the game to completion even if it means picking up where we left off,” says Mr. Joseph Sutera, the head coach of the boys varsity baseball team. “The greatest thing about the game of baseball is that there is no time limit, and it should always stay that way.”

In the top of the second inning, Hawthorne scored on a wild pitch, leaving Glen Rock behind 1-0.

But in the third inning, down by 1, a single by John Scandale (’16) into right-center field had Glen Rock on the upswing.

After Scandale’s single, pinch runner, Scott Finan (’14), stole second base and put Glen Rock into scoring position. Max Felsenstein (’16) drove in Finan with a base hit to center giving him Glen Rock’s first RBI.

Pitcher Matt Neumann (’14) gave Glen Rock a strong outing for the first three innings, only giving up one run in the second, until he ran into trouble in the fourth, surrendering two base on balls (walks).

Sophomore, Zach Waller, came in relief inheriting two runners on first and second. They later advanced on an attempted pickoff to first base putting two runners into scoring position for Hawthorne.

Hawthorne’s center fielder, Connor Gugliotta, drove in the two runs on a base hit to center field, making the score 3-1.

Glen Rock started the rally in the fifth inning when Brady Miller (’15) reached first, followed by single from Scandale and a walk by Felsenstein to load the bases with two outs.

“We responded in the fifth inning, we did not lie down and concede the game. It is early in the season, and we are still learning about some different players, and facing different challenges every day, this team will be fine,” says Sutera.

Senior shortstop, Christain Vila, continued the Panther’s rally with a ground ball, in which Felsenstein beat out the play at second.

The inning, however, came to an end leaving the bases loaded and Glen Rock down 3-2.

“Although the game did not fall our way, I felt we showed a lot of heart and fight despite being in a hole from the start,” says Scandale.