Friday, 6-20-2008  -  76 degrees & cloudy at Lowell High School, LOWELL, IN

WP - Derek Brandenburg (1-2) CG, 6K, 3 walks
LP - Jonothan Lavasko  (0-2) 2K, 7 walks (3 innings)

WHITING (1-5)
Mike Casillas (2B) 1-for-2, 2 walks
Micha Rooke (C)  0-for-3
Jeremy Kraus (3B) 0-for-4
Joey Murzyn (RF) 0-for-3
Jonothan Lavasko (P) 0-for-2, walk
Donny Kacz (LF) 2-for-3
Matt Hornyak (CF) 1-for-3, RBI
Miguel Frausto (1B) 2-for-3, triple, 2 RBIs
Michael Rockiki (SS) 0-for-3

LOWELL (2-4)
James Frasure (LF) 1-for-3
Kale Popp (3B) 1-for-4, triple
Tony Celebucki (CF) 1-for-1, 2 walks, RBIs
Chris Cooper (RF) 2-for-3, double, triple
Derek Brandenburg (P) 0-for-2, walk
Craig Austgen (SS) 0-for-1, 2 walks
Evan Ensweiler (C) 0-for-3
Justin Bolda (2B) 0-for-2, walk
James Perrin (CF) 1-for-2, walk, RBI

Click Here for 2008 Lowell Post 101 Schedule

LOWELL (6-20-2008) - Lots of times in American Legion summer baseball, you don't know what you're up against when the game begins.  So it was gratifying that, Friday, for the second time this season, Lowell Post 101 found a team they were clearly superior to.  Lowell led all the way and turned back Whiting Post 80 by a 5-3 score early Friday evening behind Lowell high school.  Lowell senior Derek Brandenburg survived a rough fourth inning to post his first summer victory and Post 101 took advantage of some wild Whiting pitching to break a four-game losing streak.

Post 101, coming off a 4-0 loss to Crown Point Post 20 three days earlier, didn't beat up Whiting high pitcher Jonothan Lovasko (0-2), but they did draw seven walks in the first three innings, including free passes to Lowell's Craig Austgen and James Perrin with the bases loaded that pushed in key runs in Lowell's three-run third inning.

"We're not bad," said Post 101 manager Steve Harker, whose team has lost twice by one run.  "When we get (KV grad Micah) Raebel back, we have three solid pitchers and Brandenburg is coming around.  Raebel is not with us right now, but when he's back, our pitching will be pretty good."

This game was not a test of that fact.  Whiting didn't have many of the players off Whiting's 1A regional championship high school team.

"A lot of our guys are already in football workouts," said Whiting manager Tony Casillas, who didn't know who would be available for the post-season in three weeks.  "Football is really killing us."

Post 80's best offensive player was actually Lowell high senior Miguel Frausto, who transferred from Hammond last year.  Frausto, who was Lowell high's starting third baseman in the spring, collected a single and a two-run triple in three at-bats off Brandenburg.

"I don't know why he's playing for them," said Harker, who is also a Lowell assistant varsity coach.  "I guess he's living with a relative for the summer.  He should be playing with us, but at least he's playing."

At least Brandenburg pitched a complete game.  The Lowell right-hander struck out six and walked three, flashing the ability that shows up inconsistently.

"He can be very good," said Harker.  "This was a good game for him.  Obviously we need him to pitch well all the time."

Brandenburg truthfully should not have allowed three runs.  Frausto's two out line drive single to center was played into a triple by Post 101 center fielder James Perrin, who made a bold diving attempt to catch the ball and missed.  Lowell could have scored more than five times, but Post 101 bounced into two double plays in the late innings.  The last couple of innings were played in descending darkness as the skies clouded up after 7:00 p.m.  American Legion games begin at 6:00 p.m. and locally, only Crown Point and East Chicago have lights.  All week night games run the risk of being shortened by darkness.

The Post 101 starting lineup had five players from Lowell Friday and part of the optimism about the sectional speaks to the fact that some of the boys don't know each other.  Lowell's Post 101 team has an odd collection of boys from Lowell, KV and Valparaiso with James Frasure from Crown Point tossed in.

"The idea was to have a Lowell summer team and we have some of them out here," said Harker.  "But we actually have as many players from other schools.  If we get everybody here for the sectional, we have a chance.  Our sectional is Cedar Lake, Crown Point and Hammond.  Somebody's got to beat Hammond.  When we get Micah back, we have a chance."

LEGION NOTES:  Without a minimum of four capable pitchers, teams have little chance to win a double-elimination playoff of nine-inning games because the three-day format almost requires that managers convert one of their starters to a relief pitcher role in the post-season.  Boys who have pitched six and seven-inning games most of their lives have trouble suddenly completing nine innings.

Lowell's regular starters are Lowell 2007 grad Nick Bolda, Kankakee Valley senior Kyle Popp, KV 2008 grad Micah Raebel and Lowell senior Derek Brandenburg.

Lowell's athletic facilities are getting a renovation this summer, which is obvious when you go to the American Legion games.  The Lowell high school press box has been torn down and the football stands have been roped off, with no one is allowed on them any more.  The new press box is being delivered and it will sit on an expanded football grandstand.  The capacity of the 'Inferno', Lowell's football home will now be approximately 3,000.

There is now a parking lot adjacent to the baseball field that is not in use as of yet.  The lot, which appears big enough for 100-150 cars may actually be of better use for school parking, soccer, football and softball because it sits so close to the baseball field that foul balls will dive bomb cars parked there during games.  The upgrades have been initiated by the Lowell Booster Club's 'Inferno Alliance', which spearheaded those improvements after outdoor athletic improvements were budgeted out of the Lowell school renovation four years ago.

2008 Lowell Post 101 (2-4)
American Legion 1st District at Lowell high school
6-3 (W)  10-0 (5 innings) CROWN POINT (B)
6-4 (Postponed) East Chicago (269) 
6-8   (L) 6-8 at CEDAR LAKE Post 261
6-10 (L) 8-12 Hammond (168-B) .
6-13 (L) 0-10 at Hammond (168) .
6-17 (L) 0-4 CROWN POINT (20)
6-20 (W) 5-3 Whiting Post (80)

6-22 (Sun) Cedar Lake (261) 6 p.m.
6-24 (Tu) Highland (180)  6 p.m.
6-25 (W) at Valparaiso (94) 6 p.m.
6-29 (Sun) at CROWN POINT (20) 3 p.m.
7-7 (M) at CROWN POINT (20) B - 6 p.m.
7-8 (Tu) Valparaiso (94) 6 p.m.
7-9 (W) at Hobart (54) 6 p.m.
7-10 (Th) Hobart (54) 6 p.m.
7-12 (Sat) East Chicago (369) 2 games - 3 p.m.
7-14 (M) at Highland (180)  6 p.m.
7-15 (Tu) at Whiting (80) 6 p.m.

Crown Point (20) Sectional
Double-elimination at Teagle Field with Hobart (54), Hammond (168), Lowell (101), and CP (20) 
7-24 (Th) 2 first round games - 5 p.m.
7-26 (Sat) 3 games: 1st round winners, losers and 3rd round elimination
7-27 (Sun) Championship round - 12 noon

Plymouth (27) Regional
Double-elimination at Bill Nixon Field with sectional winners from CP, East Chicago, Valpo and Plymouth
8-1 (F) 2 first round games  - 5 p.m.
8-2 (Sat) 3 games: 1st round winners, losers and 3rd round elimination
8-3 (Sun) Championship round - 12 noon

2008 American Legion State Finals
4 teams - double-elimination at Bill Nixon Field - Plymouth
8-8 (F) 1st round games (TBA)
8-9 (Sat) 1st round winners, losers and 3rd round elimination
8-10 (Sun) Championship round