Crown Point Post 20 "A" sweeps Leo in dbl-header, CP "B" falls 6-3 to Mishawaka in American Legion Baseball

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

6-18-2006

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Leo Post 409 (1-2)	0	1	0	1	0	-	-	2	4	5
Crown Point Post 20-A (4-1)	2	6	3	1	-	-	-	12	10	1

Saturday, 6-17-2006 - 92 degrees and sunny at Teagle Field, Crown Point, IN

WP - Andrew Higgins (1-0) 0K, 1 walk (3 inn.)
LP - Ryne Harding (0-1) 2K, 2 walks (2 inn.)

Leo (1-2)
Jarrod Roberts (RF-C) Double, walk, run scored
Fletcher Youngblutt (SS) Single, walk

CROWN POINT (4-1)
Nick Ullman (2B) 2 triples, single, 3 RBIs, 3 runs s
Chris Saroff (3B) 3 singles, RBI
Mathew Schweitzer (C) Single, 2 walks, RBI
Adam Farag (1B) 2 singles, 2 RBIs
Caleb Douglas (SS) Double, walk, 2 RBIs
Andrew Higgins (P) 2 HBPs, 2 runs scored

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Leo Post 409 (1-1)	0	0	0	2	0	-	-	2	1	3
Crown Point Post 20-A (3-1)	1	4	4	1	2	-	-	12	10	2

Saturday, 6-17-2006 - 92 degrees and sunny at Teagle Field, Crown Point, IN

WP - Matt Dobin (1-0) CG, 3K, 2 walks
LP - Zack Adams (0-1) 0K, 1 walk (2 inn.)

Leo (1-1)
Brennan Simpson (1B) 2 walks
Torey Hughes (CF) Sac Fly, RBI

CROWN POINT (3-1)
Nick Ullman (2B) HR, triple, 4 RBIs
Tim Mummery (3B) 2 singles, 2 runs scored
Jon Sertich (CF) 2 singles, RBI
Matt Dobin (P) Double, RBI
Ryan Langbehn (LF) 2 singles, RBI
Andrew Stalbaum (1B) Single walk, sac fly, RBI

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Mishawaka Post 161-B (2-2)	2	0	1	0	0	2	0	1	0	6	13	2
Crown Point Post 20-B (1-3)	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	3	6	4

Saturday, 6-17-2006 - 90 degrees and sunny at Teagle Field, Crown Point, IN

WP - Danny Ranschaert (1-0) OK, 5 walks (3 innings)
SAVE - Kevin Gray - 2K, 3 walks (2 innings)
LP - Kyle Bacon (0-1) 2K, 3 walks (3 inn.)

Mishawaka Post 161-B (2-2)
Evan Forslund (3B) 3 singles, 2 runs scored
Walter Layman (C) Double, Single, 3 RBIs
Justin Janicki (LF) 2 singles
Shawn Geraghty (CF) Single, walk

CROWN POINT 20-B (1-3)
Jack Standley (2B-SS) Double, single, RBI
Chris Stalbaum (3B) Double, walk RBI
Michael Hernandez (RF) 3 singles, walk

CROWN POINT (6-17-2006) A schedule that includes three games on a day when the temperatures reached the low 90s was a blueprint for torture Saturday at Teagle Field. But nobody got hurt. Except for maybe the feelings of Leo Post 409's pitchers and the early season triple header was a learning experience for all concerned.

Mishawaka Post 161 defeated Crown Point 6-3 in a matchup of 'B' teams (age 17 and under) and CP Post 20's senior squads (19 and under) rolled over first year team Leo Post 409 by identical scores of 12-2 in two, five-inning games.

The shortened second games were welcome as the issue was decided early in each one. Leo Post 409, from the north suburban Fort Wayne area in Allen County, was a slightly younger team than CP and that fact showed as CP scored in every inning of both games.

While CP is made up of Crown Point high school players with a couple of stars from Kankakee Valley, Hebron and Merrillville, Leo is the varsity team from Leo high school, an 800-kid Class 3A school. They did not have the depth of talent that Post 20 did.

"This is an experience for us," said Leo coach Jeff Simpson. "We know we're facing top competition here. This is what we want to see. That's why we came here. The boys want to come here. Get the experience, stay in a hotel and play a good team. That's what it's all about. We'll just come back next year a little more ready."

Crown Point was buoyed by Nick Ullman's play. A starter on Crown Point high school's last two sectional championship teams, Ullman was 5-for-8 in the two games including three triples and a three-run homer. The second baseman played with a shoulder injury throughout the spring and was a weak swinger. He was a different player Saturday, driving four line drives to the wall and beyond at spacious Teagle Field.

Ullman's three-run homer keyed a four-run second inning in the game one win and his two-run triple sparked a six-run second inning in game two.

"He has a sweet swing, doesn't he," said manager Tony Samano. "He was hurt all spring, but the ball just jumps off his bat now."

In the first game Saturday, Ullman sliced a long triple to the left center field fence leading off the bottom of the first inning. The CP grad scored when center fielder Tori Hughes' throw got away from the cutoff man. Leading 1-0 in the second, Ullman hit a 370-foot homer over the right field fence. There were three errors and three walks after that as the game drifted away from the visitors. Right-hander Matt Dobin, better known for batting over .400 for Kankakee Valley three years in a row, gave up just one single to Leo pitcher Zack Adams in completing the five-inning effort.

The second game appeared to be going differently when an error by Post 20 shortstop Caleb Douglas allowed Leo to score a second-inning run, cutting the Crown Point lead to 2-1. But in the bottom of the second inning against left-hander Ryne Harding, Brandon Joyce singled and Andrew Higgins was hit by a pitch. Ullman then pulled a long line drive to right center field that no outfielder could catch. The two-run triple began a six-run second inning that ended the competitive portion of the game. Ullman added a single and another triple in the third and fourth.

"That leadoff man is a great hitter," said Simpson, who said his boys enjoyed the trip despite the outcome. "We don't see a lot of players like that where we are. We do have Bristol (Post 143) on the schedule and I hear they're very good. But I know all the teams over here aren't like this (CP). This is a very good team."

LEGION NOTES: The Post 20 'B' team still had to scramble off base hits in a 6-3 loss to Mishawaka Post 161's 'B' team. The score of the nine-inning game was deceptive in a lot of respects. Mishawaka left 15 runners on base, including 10 in the first five-innings.

"Our pitching really wasn't that bad," said 'B' team manager Larry Samano, "and we made some good defensive plays. But we just can't score any runs. We drew a lot of walks (10), but we just cant get a hit with men on base. We're not a bad team, but these guys have got to start hitting or I'm going to have to find somebody who can."

It's mathematically impossible to leave no more than 27 runners on base and Mishawaka, which also lost four runners on the bases, left 15 on. A typical play was Walter Lehman's bases-loaded single in the six inning. Two runs scored but Crown Point catcher Colin Westbrooks cut off the throw home and threw out Mishawaka's Evan Forslund going from first to third. Third baseman Chris Stalbaum then fired to second base where the batter Lehman was tagged out.

But other than Jack Standley (2-for-5) and Michael Hernandez (3-for-3 and a walk), Post 20's junior team had little success with the metal bats in the summer heat.

"We'll come around," said Samano, who knows that this was the first 'B' team game against another 17-and-under squad. "I just told them that. We're not getting blown out. I think we'll be okay."

The Post 20 'B' team (1-3) truly had not won a game as of last weekend. They gained a forfeit when East Chicago Post 369 did not show up for a scheduled game last Friday.

Hammond Post 168 (4-3) stepped out of the area and got stopped twice by undefeated Lafayette Post 11 (5-0) Saturday (6-17-2006) afternoon, 5-4 and 13-7. Former Lake Central star and pro draft choice Brett Summers (1-0) pitched the one-run loss for Hammond, allowing seven hits and three walks in six innings. 2006 LC grad Ranko Ivetic gave up nine hits and six walks in the nightcap.

CROWN POINT POST 20-A (8-1)

Manager: Tony Samano - 26th year
Coaches Artie Samano, Rich Hands, Jimmy Wilson

All games 7 innings unless otherwise indicated
*** opponents home games to be played at night at CP

6-13 (Tu) Hammond Post 168 L, 5-10
6-14 (W) Whiting Post 80 W, 9-0
6-14 (W) Whiting Post 80 W, 15-0
6-17 (Sat) Leo Post 409 (Game 1) W, 12-2 (5-innings)
6-17 (Sat) Leo Post 409 (Game 2) W, 12-2 (5-innings)
6-19 (M) at Hobart Post 54 W, 17-3 (5-innings)
6-20 (Tu) Plymouth Post 27 W, 5-4 (9-innings)
6-21 (W) Cal City Post 330 W, 16-0
6-22 (Th) Highland Post 180 W, 4-3
6-23 (F) Valparaiso Post 94 - (To be rescheduled for a later date)
6-25 (Sun) at Kokomo Post 6 - 3:30 p.m.
6-27 (Tu) at Cedar Lake Post 261 (at CP) 8 p.m.***
6-28 (W) East Chicago Post 369 (2 games) 6 p.m.
6-29 (Th) opponent to be determined - 9 innings - 6:30 p.m.

7-2 (Su) Cedar Lake Post 261 - 4:00 p.m.
7-3 (M) at Plymouth Post 27 - 7:30 p.m.
7-5 (W) Lowell Post 101 - 8 p.m.
7-8 (Sat) at Lowell Post 101 (at CP) 7 p.m.***
7-9 (Sun) at Lafayette Post 11 (2 games) 1 p.m.
7-10 (M) Hobart Post 54 - 6:30 p.m.
7-12 (W) at Highland Post 180 - 6 p.m.
7-13 (Th) Hammond Post 168 - 7:30 p.m.
7-14 (F) at Valparaiso Post 94 - 6 p.m.
7-15 (Sat) at Muncie Post 19 - 9 innings - 1 p.m.
7-16 (Sun) at Anderson Post 127 - 9 innings - 1 p.m.

Crown Point Sectional (dates are tentative)
7-20 (Th) Crown Point sectional (vs. Hammond and Cedar Lake)
7-21 (F) Crown Point Sectional (vs. Hammond and Cedar Lake)
7-22 (Sat) CP Sectional championship game one
7-23 (Sun) CP Sectional championship game two

Crown Point Regional (dates are tentative)
7-27 (Th) vs. sectional winners from EC, Valpo and South Bend
7-28 (F) vs. sectional winners from EC, Valpo and South Bend
7-29 (Sat) CP Regional championship game one
7-30 (Sun) CP Regional championship game two

American Legion State Finals (dates are tentative)
8-3 (Th) 1st round double-header
8-4 (F) 1st round double-header
8-5 (Sat) championship round game one
8-6 (Sun) championship round game two