Lowell 10s beat Dyer 11-1, drop 1-0 title game to Munster in Little League District II semifinals
	A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith 7-17-2008

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H	E
Dyer (3-2)	0	0	1	0	0	-	1	6	1
LOWELL (5-0)	6	0	3	0	2	-	11	11	1

Wednesday, July 16, 2008 - Little League 10s All Stars  - 82 degrees at WHITING, IN

WP - Justin Thomas (2-0) 4K, 2 walks, 75 pitches (3.3 innings)
LP - Jake Wisniewski (1-1) 0K, 2 walks (1/3 inning)

DYER (3-2) starters
Greg Ray (2B) 0-for-2, walk
Joey Morsuvillo (CF) 1-for-2, walk
Richie Rucinski (SS) 0-for-3
TJ Koutropolous (1B) 2-for-3
Jake Wisniewski (P) 0-for-3
Tim Nebel (3B) 1-for-2
Justin Ruthrauff (RF) 1-for-2
Ian Gifford (C) 1-for-1
Sam Radjenivich (LF) 0-for-1

LOWELL (5-0) starters
Matt Griesmer (2B)  0-for-2, walk
Reid Witt (LF) 1-for-3, walk
Darion Hornickel (SS) 2-for-4
Justin Thomas (P) 1-for-2, RBI, 2 walks
Brandon Cory CF) 1-for-3, RBI
Jake Slager (3B) 1-for-1 walk, RBI
Drew Hughes (C) 0-for-1, walk, RBI
Graham Umlauf (1B) 1-for-2, walk, 2 RBIs
Justin King (RF) 2-for-3, 2 RBIs

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H	E
Munster (6-0)	0	0	0	2	2	1	5	6	0
LOWELL (5-1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1

Thursday, July 17, 2008 - Little League 10s All Stars  - 86 degrees at WHITING, IN

WP - Connor Manous (2-0) 12 K, 1 walk, 75 pitches, CG
LP - Darion Hornickel (2-1) 4K, 2 walsk (4.3 inn.)

Munster (6-0) starters
Chase Dawson (2B) 2-for-4, RBI
Connor Manous (P) 0-for-2, walk
Trevor Brooks (1B) 1-for-2, double, walk
Zack Kall (RF) 1-for-2, sac fly, RBI
Alex Mis (C) 1-for-2, walk RBI
Mike Brozovis (CF) 0-for-2
BB Morado (SS) 1-for-2 double, walk, 2 RBI
Luke Hackett (3B) 0-for-2
Jacob Lyza (LF) 0-for-1

LOWELL (5-1) starters
Matt Griesmer (2B)  0-for-3
Reid Witt (LF) 0-for-1
Darion Hornickel (P) 0-for-1, walk
Justin Thomas (1B) 0-for-2
Brandon Cory CF) 1-for-1
Jake Slager (3B) 0-for-1
Drew Hughes (C) 0-for-2
Austin Umlauf (2B) 0-for-1
Justin King (RF) 0-for-2

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WHITING (7-17-2008) -  Maybe it was wishful thinking.  Teams don't come from nowhere, beat Dyer and Munster and win the district Little League title.  It just isn't done.
But the 2008 Lowell 10-year-old all-stars came as close as they ever have last week.  The Lowell 10s, trying to become the first true Little League team in 53 years to win the District II title, fell one game short Thursday, losing 5-0 to Munster in the district championship game at the Whiting Little League.

After a surprising 11-1 win over Dyer the night before, Lowell (5-1) battled Munster (6-0) on even terms until the fourth inning when the Munster 10s, in back of hard-throwing pitcher Connor Manous (2-0), broke through for the decisive win.

Munster (6-0) will play in the eight-team double-elimination 10-and-under state finals next weekend at the Chet Waggoner Little League on South Bend's West Side.

"I never once told them how good Munster was," said Lowell manager Tim Griesmer.  "That's a good team.  That pitcher (Manous).  He threw the ball very well.  His velocity didn't drop even in the last inning."

Manous, a small right-hander, struck out 12 and gave up one hit, a ground ball single to center by Lowell's Brandon Cory in the second inning.  He walked Darion Hornickel in the fourth inning and that was it.  No one else got the ball out of the infield.

"He's just one of six quality pitchers we have," said Munster manager Matt Brozovis, trying very hard to be politically correct with his other players and all the parents.  "I have equal faith in all of them."

Lowell had outscored five foes by a combined score of 57-8, but Manous defeated them with exactly 75 pitches, the limit that Little League baseball allows for one pitcher in one game.

"I was going to take him out," said Brozovis, who went out to the mound in the final inning with two out.  But he convinced me he could finish the game.  He insisted on staying in.  We have played well.  Our goal in every practice is to get a little bit better and today we played well."

Lowell did well to hold the score to 5-0.  Munster broke the scoreless tie on BB Morado's two-out line drive double down the left field line.  A bases-loaded wild pitch followed by Zack Kall's sacrifice fly in the fifth upped the lead to 4-0 and Chase Dawson's ground out scored Morado with the fifth run in the sixth.

The Lowell 10s never got a runner past first base to the disappointment of about 100 fans and friends who made the long trip from Lowell to 119th street in Whiting.

"When I looked down the left field line tonight," said Griesmer, "I saw a lot of the managers of the other teams (in the Lowell Little League).  I'm grateful they came all this way to see us play.  If you were in downtown Lowell today, you'd see a lot of signs and billboards saying: 'Congratulations Lowell' and 'Win the District title.'  We really appreciate all their support."

The good thing about the Little League is that, 30 minutes after the game, the players have gotten over the loss and are looking forward to snacks, the ride home and the next level.

The next level for the growing Lowell Little League is to find a new home.  Word is they are losing their present home behind the VFW field at the north end of town.  There is some uncertainty as to exactly why and exactly when (Lowell may be able to stay there another year), but the Little League is operating under the impression that no one at the VFW Post would miss them if they left.

The truth is, Lowell has outgrown the old three-field set-up they have occupied for the last three decades.  If this mini-run in the state tourney spurs growth of the new site project, then the boys left some legacy for the future, something Little Leaguers don't get a chance to do.

"I really would like to see the day that we win district and represent this are in the state finals," said Griesmer.  "That would really be something."

DISTRICT NOTES:  Munster is having a great summer.  Munster's Little League 10s, 12s, Babe Ruth 13s and 14s all advanced to the state finals and the 11-year-old team was still alive in their tourney.  They are at the opposite end of the spectrum from Lowell and they are quite proud of it.

"There are a lot of e-mails being exchanged between the coaches," said Brozovius.  "And we're letting the coach at the high school (Bob Shinkan) know we're all sending him some pretty good players."

Lowell 10s manager Tim Griesmer confirms that Lowell won't be at their traditional home, the Creekside Little League next to Lowell's Veterans of Foreign Wars post for much longer.

"We had to fight hard to get the kids to play on our fields this year," he admitted.  "We lacked a little communication between us and our landlord (the VFW).  We've got a better rapport with them now.  Hopefully we'll be able to stay one more year."

"Eventually we want our own home at Freedom Park.  Our parks department in Lowell donated 16 acres for us for a new complex with six fields.  If we get it, hopefully, we can start hosting tournaments like this.  There's a lot of work to do.  Information on the site and how people can donate to the next level is at www.LowellLittleLeague.com."

The Whiting Little League, which is just south of 119th Street on Whiting's west side, is set to have a partner.  Word is that a storage building south of the field will be taken down in the next couple of years, making room for the new home of Whiting high school baseball.

District II Area Tournament
10-and-under at Whiting Little League - 119th Street

7-9-8 (W) DYER 14, Munster (II) 4
7-9-8 (W) Whiting 24, Highland (II) 2
7-11-8 (F) DYER 17, Whiting 2
7-12-8 (Sat) Munster (II) 21, Highland 9
7-12-8 (Sat) Munster (II) 15, Whiting 0
7-12-8 (Sat) Highland (II) 6, DYER 5

District II Area Tournament
10-and-under at Hessville Little League

7-9-8 (W) Hessville 5, Hobart Township 2
7-9-8 (W) LOWELL 23, Irving  0
7-10-8 (Th) all games rained out
7-11-8 (F) LOWELL 7, Hobart Township 4
7-11-8 (F) Hessville 10, Irving 0
7-12-8 (Sat) LOWELL 1, Hessville 0
7-12-8 (Sat) Hobart Township 11, Irving 8


District II Little League Finals
10-and-under at Whiting Little League - 119th Street

7-14-8 (M) Munster (I) 10, Munster (II) 3
7-14-8 (M) Hessville 12, CEDAR LAKE 2
7-15-8 (Tu) DYER 16, Highland 6
7-15-8 (Tu) LOWELL 15, Hebron 3
7-16-8 (W) Munster (I) 11, Hessville 5
7-16-8 (W) LOWELL 11, DYER 1 (5 innings)
7-17-8 (Thurs)  Munster (I) 5, LOWELL 0