Crown Point Post 20 "A" record at 8-1 with 4-3 win over Highand in American Legion Baseball

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

6-23-2006

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Highland Post 180 (3-3)	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	3	9	3
Crown Point Post 20-A (8-1)	2	1	0	0	0	0	1	4	7	2

Thursday, 6-22-2006 - 81 degrees and sunny at Teagle Field, Crown Point, IN

WP - Chris Saroff (3-0) CG, 10 Ks, 1 walk (103 pitches)
LP - Joe Fabian (1-1) CG, 7 Ks, 3 walks (101 pitches)

HIGHLAND (3-3)
Andrew Helmer (1B) 2 singles, 2 RBIs
Tim Usher (DH) Double, run scored
Chris Ramirez (C) Single walk, RBI
John Velasco (3B) Double, single

CROWN POINT (8-1)
Nick Ullman (2B) Double, 2 singles, walk, RBI
Adam Kennedy (C) Double, 2 RBIs
Chris Saroff (P) 2 singles

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Plymouth Post 27 (2-2)	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4	7	2
Crown Point Post 20-A (6-1)	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	1	5	10	0

Tuesday, 6-20-2006 - 86 degrees and sunny at Teagle Field, Crown Point, IN

WP - Chris Saroff (2-0) 1k, 0 walks (1/3 inn.)
Adam Farag (P) 8Ks, 3 walks (8.7 inn.).
LP - Derek Freds (0-1) 1K, 0 walks (2 inn.)

Plymouth (2-2)
Michael Brown (OF) 2 doubles, 2 RBIs
Joe Scott (1B) 2 singles, run scored

CROWN POINT (6-1)
Adam Kennedy (C) HR, double, 2 RBIs
Tim Mummery (3B) 3 singles, 3 runs scored
Andrew Stalbaum (1B) Double, single

CROWN POINT (6-22-2006) In American Legion baseball you almost need to alternate close games with blowouts. Legion teams don't have enough pitching on hand every day to play all close games, no matter how much they may benefit the team. But, too many 10-run victories create a team that will, easily be surprised at playoff time.

The season's gone very well in that respect so far for Crown Point Post 20.

After an opening shorthanded loss to Hammond Post 168, Crown Point won five games by nine runs or more. They won a 5-4, nine-inning game from a talented Plymouth Post 27 team Tuesday (6-20-2006) and Thursday, Highland Post 180 carried a tie game "we won on a passed ball the other night," manager Tony Samano said. "And tonight we win like tics."

With the bases loaded, CP's Matt Dobin hit a one out, one hop ground ball back to the pitcher Highland Joe Fabian. Fabian fired to catcher Chris Ramirez for a force play at home but Ramirez' relay throw to first base sailed over the head of 6-foot-4 first baseman Andrew Helmer, allowing Chris Saroff to score the winning run.

Post 20 (8-1) didn't dominate this game, but in the American Legion, the key is to win shorthanded and CP came out on top on a night when they truthfully didn't have a center fielder.

Post 20's Jon Sertich was with the CP summer league team and backup center fielder Ryan Langbehn left the team, ironically enough, due to lack of playing time.

"He'd have played tonight," said manager Tony Samano, who used catcher and corner outfielder Greg Eberhart in center. "He (Langbehn) didn't feel he was playing enough, but Sertich won't be here every game and some of the other guys won't be here all the time. Everybody gets to play."

Post 20 has some depth problems now with just 12 players, but Samano brushes that off.

"Now everybody's going to play in almost every game," said the manager, who also noted that Hebron's Brandon Joyce left the team, feeling he should have played more.

"Some of the guys form last year's 'B' team figured that because they did so well (the 2005 'B' team won the Indiana state title) that they should come in here and start right away. That's just not going to happen. You've got to wait for your chance."

Crown Points stayed with the starting nine against Highland Thursday night, taking a 2-1 lead early when Adam Kennedy lined a two-run first inning double to right center. Nick Ullman's RBI single made the score 3-1 in the second inning, but Highland right-hander Joe Fabian and Post 20's Chris Saroff kept the score 3-1 until the sixth inning.

Highland then tied the game on a double by Tim Usher, and singles by Highland high football and basketball star Andrew Helmer and Morton's Chris Ramirez.

Post 20 won the game in the seventh when Ullman's leadoff double set up Matt Dobin with the bases full with Ramirez's bad throw on what should have been a double play, ending the game.

"I don't know what happened on that play," said Highland manager John Bizoukas. "He's a better player than that. Joe Fabian pitched a real strong game."

Post 180 is largely Highland high school with the addition of Helmer, who never played baseball in high school, but was all-Lake Athletic Conference in football and basketball.

"He's pitched once," said Bizoukas of the 6-foot-4 Helmer. "But he was wild. He just hasn't pitched in a long time. I don't know why he didn't play baseball in high school. I really don't. There's a lot of times we use players in a different way from how the high school uses them."

Crown Point's Ullman was 3-for-3 with a walk and he appears totally recovered from an arm injury he played with throughout the sectional championship season at Crown Point high school.

"It's fine now," Ullman said later. "It feels good. I had some treatment after the school year ended and I can swing the bat now."

Ullman, who had six hits in a double-header win over Leo Post 430 on June 17, still says he will not play baseball in college despite his great success at Crown Point. Samano seems to understand.

"A lot of times, this is kinda a last hurrah for the boys," said the manager. "They come out here and there's no pressure on them and they just have fun. That's what we try to do."

Fun is also called winning games and so far that's been happening, too.

LEGION NOTES: Crown Point isn't really as shorthanded as their 12-man roster would appear. Tommy Parks, who plays on the Post 20 'B' team, was a starter at times on the CPHS varsity and can play on either. Also, CP's Tim Mummery can truthfully play every position on the diamond. Mummery played first base, second base and center field for CPHS and he has played third base for Post 20. It's hard to say what his best position is, but one of his better positions is catcher, something he won't do for Post 20 this season because CP has three catchers.

"He plays a great third baseman," said manager Tony Samano. "He's really good wherever I put him. He just wants to play. I'm going to even let him pitch sometime."

Merrillville high school's Adam Farag pitched 8 2/3 innings in the 5-4 win over Plymouth on June 20 and he contained a good Plymouth Post 27 lineup. The rematch will be on July 3 at Plymouth's Bill Nixon Field. Farag, who was 10-2 for Duneland Conference champion Merrillville this spring, is probably Post 20's No. 1 pitcher because Saroff is so valuable in the field at shortstop. Farag and Caleb Douglas are unknown quantities at the plate because they did not bat much during the high school season.

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