St. John blue shirts snap CP's 5-game win streak, 5-3 in Cal Ripken Northern State Baseball Finals
A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith  (7-17-2008)

Sunday, July 13, 2008 - 78 degrees, Cal Ripken (age 12) Northern State Tournament at Heartland Park - ST. JOHN, IN

WP - Clayton Frye (2-1)  CG, 7K, 2 walks
LP - Jake Jatis (0-1)  3K, 2 walks ( 1.3 inn.)

Logansport (4-1) starters
Cooper Kannaman (2B) 1-for-2, 2 walks, 2 runs scored
Dusty Clements (1B) 1-for-4
Nito Luna (SS) 1-for-3, RBI
Austin Gaby (C) 0-for-1
Travis Palmer (3B) 1-for-4, RBI
Clayton Frye (P) 2-for-3, walk, 3 RBIs
Andrew Wamsley (RF) 1-for-3, 2 RBIs
Brad Nies (LF) 1-for-3
Sheldon Corcuran (CF) 2-for-3, 2 RBIs

Crown Point (red) all-stars (5-2)
Ben Baumeister (C) 1-for-4
Jake Jatis (P) 1-for-3, walk, RBI
Eric Haniford (3B) 0-for-4
Dale Wentz (3B) 0-for-2, walk
Glenn Hecht (CF) 2-for-3
Jack Vinovich (LF) 2-for-3, double
Bobby Kammer (1B) 1-for-3, double, 2 RBIs
Jake Jentz (RF) 0-for-3
Jake Benich (2B) 1-for-1, 2 RBIs

Sunday, July 13, 2008 - 78 degrees, Cal Ripken (age 12) Northern State Tournament at Heartland Park - ST. JOHN, IN

WP - Zack Ossanna (4-1)  1k, 1 walk (one inning)
SP - Aaron Furman (St. J) 6K, 2 walks (6 innings)
LP - Donnie Ernst (2-1) 0K, 1 walk (one inning)
SP - Bobby Kammer (CP)   16Ks, 4 walks, 2 HBP

St. John - blue (7-2) starters
Austin Gibson (CF) 1-for-3, walk
Kyle Hillegonds (RF) 0-for-2, 2 walks
Zach Ossanna (1B) 1-for-3, HBP, RBI
Aaron Furman (P) 1-for-3 RBI, walk
Jack Pufahl (SS) 1-for-3
Tyler Scott (3B) 2-for-4, RBI
Rob Long (C) 1-for-3, walk
Alex Momcilovic (LF) 0-for-2, HBP
Brett Detmar (2B) 0-for-3

Crown Point (red) all-stars (5-1)
Ben Baumeister (LF) 1-for-4, RBI
Jake Jatis (SS) 2-for-3, walk
Donnie Ernst (1B) 0-for-3
Eric Haniford (CF) 3-for-4, HR, RBI
Dale Wentz (3B) 0-for-4
Jake Jenks (RF) 0-for-1, 2 walks
Bobby Kammer (P) 1-for-3, double
Roc Hopman  (C) 1-for-2, Sac Fly, RBII
Jake Benich (2B) 0-for-2

Friday, July 11, 2008 - 78 degrees, Cal Ripken (age 12) Northern State Tournament at Heartland Park - ST. JOHN, IN

WP - Bobby Kammer (3-0)   CG, 12Ks, 1 walk, 0 hits
LP - Mavric Collier (1-1)   7K, 2 walks, 6 ERs (5.3 innings)

Kokomo Southside all-stars  (3-1)
Issa Turner (SS) 0-for-2
Desmond Ballentine (2B) 0-for-2
Mavric Collier (P) 0-for-2
Chance Johnson (C) 0-for-2
Tanner Guyer (RF) 0-for-2
Kamrion Damrons (SS) 0-for-2
Adam Bartholomew (LF) 0-for-2
Brad Dockemeyer (1B) 0-for-0, walk
Cody Best (3B) 0-for-0

Crown Point (red) all-stars  (4-0)
Ben Baumeister (LF) 0-for-2
Jake Jatis (SS) 1-for-3, walk, 2 RBIs
Donnie Ernst (1B) 2-for-2, 2 doubles, HBP
Eric Haniford (CF) 1-for-3, double, 2 RBIs
Dale Wentz (3B) 0-for-3, RBI
Jake Jenks (RF) 0-for-1
Bobby Kammer (P) 0-for-2, walk
Roc Hopman (C) 1-for-2, walk, RBI
Jake Benich (2B) 1-for-1
Curry Franklin (sub) 1-for-2, double  RBI
Glen Hecht (sub) 1-for-2, RBI

Friday, July 11, 2008 - 78 degrees, Cal Ripken (age 12) Northern State Tournament at Heartland Park - ST. JOHN, IN

WP - Donnie Ernst (2-0)   CG, 7K, 2 walks (5 innings)
LP - Ty Overman (0-1)   3K, 3 hits, 6 ERs,  8 walks (2.7 inn.)

Logansport all-stars (0-1)
Byron Snellbaker (SS) 0-for-2
Zach Key (2B) 0-for-2
Marcus Record (C) 0-for-2
Caleb McLachlin (CF) 2-for-2, triple, single
Mitch Franklin (3B) 0-for-2
Nate King (1B) 0-for-2
Andrew Tocco (RF) 0-for-1, walk
Ty Overman (P) 1-for-2, RBI
Jake Eberhart (LF) 0-for-2

Crown Point (red) all-stars (5-0)
Ben Baumeister (C) 0-for-2, walk, RBI
Jake Jatis (SS) 1-for-4
Donnie Ernst (P) 1-for-3, walk,  RBI
Ereic Haniford (3B) 1-for-1, RBI, 2 walks
Jack Vinovich (LF) 0-for-2, walk
Dale Wentz (1B) 1-for-3, 4 RBIs
Glenn Hecht (CF) 1-for-2, double, RBI, walk
Jake Jentz (RF) 0-for-0, 2 walks
Jake Benich (2B) 0-for-1, walk

St. JOHN (7-13-2008) -  "As quickly as it comes," said Crown Point manger Don Ernst. "It can all fall apart just as quickly."

The bid of the Crown Point 12-year-old red shirt all-stars to win the Cal Ripken Northern State baseball title, which had cruised through five consecutive wins, ended in five hours of sun and wind at St. John's Heartland baseball Complex.

The CP 12s lost 5-3 in extra innings to rival St, John and then had to leave the double-elimination state finals as the sun set after a 12-6 loss to a talented Logansport team.  It was a jolt how quickly it all fell down.
 

St. John's Austin Gibson rounding third base in the seventh inning as CP's Jake Jatis (7) waits for the relay throw.  Gibson would score the go-ahead run on a single by Zach Ossanna.  (All photos by Mark Smith.)

Bobby Kammer pitching against St. John.  Kammer pitched two no hitters and was 3-0 in 4 starts in the state tourney. (he got a no-decision against St.. John. You are only allowed to pitch 6 innings.  (All photos by Mark Smith.)

CP's Jake Jatis throws out a runner at home plate to end the third inning after a base hit by St. John's Aaron Furman.

St. John's Tyler Scott (99) celebrating with his teammates after the final out.   (All photos by Mark Smith.)

After beating five teams by a combined score of 38-2, CP rolled out fastballer Bobby Kammer (3-0), two days after a 16-strikeout, no-hitter over Kokomo in the first round last Thursday.  St. John didn't exactly hit Kammer hard.  They got four singles.  But they were patient, drawing four walks.  In second inning, singles by Tyler Scott and Rob Long and a hit batter filled the bases.  Kammer, a broad shouldered right-hander, struck out Brett Detmar and Austin Gibson but a wild pitch made it 1-0 St. John, the first run off Kammer in 20 post-season innings.

Kyle Hillegonds drew a walk to re-load the bases and Zach Ossanna was hit with a pitch, forcing in the 2-0 run.  Aaron Furman singled to left to make it 3-0, but CP's Ben Baumeister threw out Hillegonds at home plate to end what would be the only scoring inning against CP's Kammer in the tournament.

Kammer, at one point, struck out 10 St. John batters in a row and Crown Point rallied on a sacrifice fly ball by Roc Hopman and an RBI singe by Ben Baumeister in the fourth inning.  In the fifth inning, a towering home run by Eric Haniford tied the game.  But Cal Ripken rules prohibit anyone from pitching more then six innings in the same game, so both starting pitchers, Kammer and St. John's Aaron Furman, were replaced at the start of the seventh inning.

That's when the post-season run ended for the CP 12s.  Not only did Donnie Ernst, CP's No. 2 pitcher, give up three hits and two runs in the seventh, he was also hit in the leg by a line drive off the bat of Alex Momcilovic.  Ernst could not bat in the seventh inning (his spot came up with two on and one out) and he could not start the consolation game against Logansport, forcing CP to go to pitchers who had not seen the mound in the post-season.

That was the first time all day you seriously worried that CP could lose twice and be eliminated.

"He couldn't pitch," said Don Ernst, Donnie's dad.  "He could have played (Monday) if we'd have made it.  He's not fast so he didn't have any speed to lose.  But he couldn't have pitched."

In the second game, CP broke down defensively for the first time in the tournament.  Jeff Jatis is normally the CP 12s shortstop, but with the injury to Donnie Ernst, Jatis was the pitcher against Logansport in the loser's bracket game which immediately (30 minutes later) followed the loss to St. John.  With CP leading 4-1 in the second inning, the first ball was hit to short and Dale Wentz, who normally plays third base, made a throwing error.  A total of 14 batters came to the plate in that inning and Logansport scored nine times on four hits and four walks to take a 10-4 lead.

Ironically, it was Wentz who took over as pitcher late in the second inning and kept CP from losing by the 10-run rule.  The right-hander gave up just one earned run the rest of the way.

Logansport left-handed pitcher Clayton Frye was the key for Logansport with two RBI doubles and a complete game performance on the mound.  CP collected eight hits, but Frye tossed a soft breaking 'knuckleball' that helped CP leave seven runners on base.

"Anybody can get beat any given day," said manager Ernst.  "Our pitchers.  Neither one of them did a bad job in the second game.  We just couldn't make plays.  Jake (Jatis) felt bad when he came out but we didn't make some routine plays behind him.  And their left-hander was able to shut us down at the end. Hey, we don't really have a left-hander in our whole league.  We couldn't simulate him if we tried."

One of the ironies to this game was that the CP red all-stars weren't going to advance beyond the state finals anyway.  All but two members of the team belong to a traveling team, also coached by Ernst.  The boys have raised money for a playing trip to the baseball Hall-of-Fame in Cooperstown, New York, which hosts several boys baseball tournaments each summer.  The CP 12s are leaving on the 26th of July.

"We had based the dates on last year's Cal Ripken tournament," said Ernst.  "And they (Cal Ripken) changed the dates.  We've already paid for it.  We're going.  It's a fantastic experience, a once in a lifetime thing."

RIPKEN NOTES:  For St. John's all-stars, the victory over their rivals was very much secondary.  First baseman Zach Ossanna's father was found dead at home the morning of the game. The cause of his death was not immediately known.  Most of the team knew of the situation but few others were told before the game.

"I was over at the house and all his relatives were there," said St. John manager Garry Pufahl.  "We left it up to him and he said that's what he wanted to do.  I understand that.  There was nothing else for him to do."

Ossanna came in to pitch in the seventh because starting pitchers can only go six innings in Cal Riken ball.

"I asked him if he wanted to do this and he said he did," said Pufahl.  "When he got into trouble (CP loaded the bases with one out in the seventh) I went out there and I asked him if he wanted to come out.  He said no I can finish this."

His mom wanted him to play. His relatives wanted him to play.  It was a very emotional day for our team.  We're happy we played well.  But we all know him and we knew his dad.  We told him before the game.  'Zach we don't like you just because you're a ballplayer.  We liked you because we're all friends.  If you need help, we can help you."

The St. John all-stars had played the CP red team or the CP traveling team a total of five times this year and they were 0-5.  When CP left Little League baseball for Cal Ripken ball, they lost arch-rival Dyer but they found a spirited substitute in St. John.  As of yet, even with a loud crowd for this latest matchup, there is none of the animosity between the two leagues that marked the CP-Dyer games.

"Our boys all know them," said CP manager Don Ernst, "and they know us.  We're on a first name basis."

Pufahl agreed. "We see each other so much, the kids all know each other and I think they like playing each other.  They beat us so often.  It feels good to beat them."

Cal Ripken Northern State Baseball  Finals
12-and-under at St. John's Heartland  Athletic Complex (next to the Midwest Ice Arena )

1st  round
7-10 (Sat) Taylor Southeast 7, CROWN POINT (white) 6
7-10 (Sat) Griffith 7,  Washington Township 6
7-11 (F) St. John (blue) 13, Logansport 3
7-11 (F) CROWN POINT 10, Kokomo Southside 0

2nd round
7-11 (Sat) Taylor Southeast 8, Hammond 6
7-11 (Sat) Griffith 6,  Shenandoah 0
7-11 (F)  St. John (blue) 2,  Judson 1
7-11 (F)  CROWN POINT (red) 11,   Logansport 0
7-12 (Sat) Logansport 7, Hammond 4
7-12 (Sat) Kokomo Southside 6, Shenandoah 0
7-12 (Sat) Judson 8, CROWN POINT (white) 2
7-12 (Sat) Washington Township 13, Logansport 6

3rd round
7-13 (Sun) St. John (blue) 5, CROWN POINT 3 (7 innings)
7-13 (Sun) Taylor Southeast 17, Griffith 4
7-13 (Sun) Washington Township 8, Griffith 1
7-13 (Sun) Logansport 12, CROWN POINT 6

4th round
7-16 (W)  Logansport 10, Washington Township 5, (consolation semi-final)
7-18 (Fri) Taylor Southeast 16, St. JOHN 2 (winner's bracket final)
7-18 (Fri) St. JOHN 6, Logansport 0 (consolation final)

5th  round
7-19 (Sat) ST. JOHN 4, Taylor Southeast 2
7-19 (Sat) ST. JOHN 4, Taylor Southeast 3 (title)