Monday, 7-21-2008  -  American Legion Sectional at Teagle Field, CROWN POINT, IN

WP - Craig Austgen (3-3)  1K, 1 walk (3 innings)
SP - Derek Brandenburg (Lowell)  5K, 3 walks (6 innings)
LP - Greg Glover (2-4)   0K, 2 walks (2 innings)
SP - Jake Plesac (Hobart) 11K, 3 walks

LOWELL Post 101
Micah Raebel (2B) 2-for-5, walk, HR, RBI
James Frasure (CF) 1-for-6
Tony Celebucki (LF) 2-for-4, 2 walks
Chris Cooper (RF) 5-for-6, 3 doubles, RBI
Derek Brandenburg (P) 0-for-5, HBP
Craig Austgen (SS) 2-for-4, double HBP, walk
Evan Ensweiler (C) 0-for-4, walk
Nick Bolda (3B) 1-for-5, double, RBI
Matt Milcarek (1B) 0-for-4, walk

Hobart Post 54
Nate Pope (3B) 0-for-4, walk
Greg Glover (SS) 3-for-5, double, triple, 2 RBIs
Jake Plesac (P) 0-for-3, Sac. Fly, RBI, walk
Jeremy Coons (2B) 3-for-4, double, 2 RBIs
TJ Sanchez (C) 0-for-4
Ron Probasco (CF) 0-for-4
Brad Ross (1B) 0-for-3
Jeremy Davis (RF) 1-for-3, double, walk
Zach Schmelter (LF) 0-for-1, walk
 

Click Here for 2008 American Legion Playoff Schedule

CROWN POINT (7-21-2008) - The American Legion regular season can be lame.  Games are rescheduled without notice.  Effort and intensity are often poor.  Highland school games are better.  During the regular season.  What makes the American Legion baseball playoffs better than the high school baseball playoffs is two simple facts: 1.) The Legion plays nine inning games in the post-season.

After seven innings Monday on opening night of the American Legion Crown Point Sectional, Hobart Post 54 led Lowell Post 101 by a 5-2 score.  In fact, it was 7-2 after one out in the ninth.  But then you saw one of those things you hardly ever see.  Thirteen batters, six hits, four errors and 10 runs later, Lowell had rallied for an unbelievable 12-7 victory.  Post 101 moved to the winner's bracket final game in the four-team sectional, facing the winner of the Hammond-Crown Point game last (Wednesday) night.

"Coach just said 'Make them regret that it's a nine inning game,'" said Crown Point native but Lowell regular James Frasure. whose pop fly single broke a 7-7 tie.  "It wasn't the prettiest game, but it's a win and that's what we needed."

Lowell, which has had a difficult, losing season, was trailing 7-2 with one out in the ninth inning before the next seven runners reached base.  Chris Cooper, who missed most of the second half of the regular season, doubled over the right fielder's head as the third batter of the ninth inning and doubled over the center fielder's head as the 11th batter in the same inning.  Post 101 had not scored more than 10 runs all season and they scored 10 in the ninth inning of the playoff game.

"I was telling them," said Lowell manager Steve Harker. "For eight innings, they were making plays, feeling good.  They were 'up'.  Then it all turned around.  We had some great hits.  I did say, 'Lets make them wish we played seven.'  I heard them saying over there, "Damn nine-inning game!  Why do we have to play nine?'"

Maybe because nine innings is real baseball that tests everybody's pitching and defense.  Jeremy Coons' two-run double in the fifth inning of Lowell starting pitcher Derek Brandenburg gave Hobart a 5-1 lead and Jeremy Davis' two-run double in the eighth off Craig Austgen made it 7-2 going to the ninth inning.  With Hobart high graduate Greg Glover beginning his second inning of relief, Lowell's James Frasure grounded out and Tony Celebucki walked.  Cooper, the Kankakee Valley graduate, doubled and Brandenburg was hit by a pitch to fill the bases.

Austgen hit a slow roller to short that the Lowell senior beat out for a hit.  When the throw sailed over the head of first baseman Tyler Raica, an extra run scored, cutting the lead to 7-4.  The next batter, Lowell's Evan Ensweiler, sliced a ground ball 20 feet wide of first.  Raica roamed toward second base to get the ball and his throw to the pitcher Glover sailed again into foul territory.  Two more Lowell runs scored to cut the lead to 7-6.

Nick Bolda, who was 0-for-4 to that point, bombed a 375-foot double to left center, tying the game 7-7.  Lowell's Matt Milcarek walked and Micah Raebel hit into a force play.  But Frasure, a former Crown Point Post 20 player who left the team last year in a dispute over playing time, lifted a soft pop fly that dropped into left center to put his new team ahead 8-7.
Two more hits and two more Hobart errors and Lowell had scored 10 runs in one inning.  It was a minor miracle for Lowell, who left 13 runners on base even as they won the game.  And the second thing about American Legion playoffs that's better than high school baseball... It's double elimination.  Winning the opener in a four-team, double-elimination playoff makes you somewhat of a co-favorite.

"It's nice," said Harker, who agreed the comeback victory was somewhat of a reward for those who stuck it out through a long year.  "Hopefully we can get two more wins and get some more rewards."'

LEGION NOTES:  Crown Point Post 20's age 17-and-under 'B' team was still alive Tuesday in the 'B' team state tournament.  After losing 5-2 to Bristol Post 143, Crown Point rebounded by defeating Mishawaka 8-1 and Bristol 9-8.  Hammond Post 168 also defeated Bristol and Mishawaka Post 161, leaving just Hammond and Crown Point alive in the regional playoffs.  The two teams agreed to move the final round back to Lake County and play it at Lake Central high school Tuesday afternoon.  The winner of the regional advances to the 'B' team state finals beginning Thursday at Terre Haute South high school.

"The more we played," said Post 20 manager Marty Zurbriggen, "the better we got.  Jordan Fall had three hits in the 8-1 win over Mishawaka while CP's Corbin Bish had three hits in the 9-8 win over Bristol."

"In the seventh inning," said Zurbriggen, Eli Kvachkoff led off with a single and Jon Waspi bunted.  The pitcher threw the ball past first base and Eli scored.  Then the right fielder threw the ball past second base and John Waspi scored, too.  It was a walk-off bunt."

"We got great pitching from Steve Lowe and we got five shutout innings from Bill Anderson, whose been hurt al year.  We wouldn't have won those games without him."

Crown Point (20) American Legion Sectional
Double-elimination at Teagle Field
7-21 (Mon) Lowell (101) 12, Hobart (54) 7
7-22 (Tues) Hammond (168) vs CROWN POINT (20)  5:30 p.m.
7-24 (Wed) LOWELL (101) vs. Hammond/CP - 5:30 p.m.
7-24 (Thu) Loser's bracket semifinal - 5:30 p.m.
7-25 (F) Loser's bracket final game - 5:30 p.m.
7-26 (Sat) CP Sectional championship - 3 p.m.

Plymouth (27) Regional
4 teams - Double-elimination at Bill Nixon Field - Plymouth
8-1 (F) 1st round games (TBA)
8-2 (Sat) three 2nd round games (TBA)
8-3 (Sun) Championship round

2008 American Legion State Finals
4 teams - Double-elimination at Bill Nixon Field - Plymouth
8-8 (F) 1st round games (TBA)
8-9 (Sat) three 2nd round games (TBA)
8-10 (Sun) Championship round