WP -  Michael Hernandez  (2-0),   CG,  15Ks, 1 walk
LP -  Cory Talian (0-2)  CG, 1K, 0 walks

CP Post 20 (4-4)
Rahdric Dix  (CF- MERRILLVILLE)  2 singles, 2 RBIs
Adam Kennedy (C-Crown Point) Double, single, RBI
Chris Saroff (P - Crown Point) Triple, single, 3 runs scored

TERRE HAUTE (6-23-2007)  It was a long way to go and they knew they'd be shorthanded.  But Crown Point Post 20 was respectable after the first game and fighting down to the end at the elite five-team American Legion's Terre Haute Invitational last weekend.

Post 20's rain-shortened 7-1 loss to Bristol Post 143 last Saturday ended their participation in the elite five-team tournament as they finished with a tourney low 1-4 record.  But 1-4 was not that bad in this tournament which, other than Post 20, involved four former American Legion state champs including the host team, the 2006 Indiana state and Midwest regional champ.

"This is the first time since we've come down here," said manager Larry Samano, "that we've even won a game."

Bristol (9-4) broke a 1-1 tie Saturday evening with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and the Elkhart-based Post moved into Sunday's scheduled third place game.  Right-hander Kirk Faulk from Elkhart Central, ended the fourth, fifth and sixth innings with strikeouts as Bristol pulled away.  The game ended in the bottom of the sixth inning when heavy rains moved into the Terre Haute area.

Right-hander Alex Ponce of Merrillville, normally an infielder, made his first Post 20 start Saturday and was the victim of a couple of bloop singles and some shaky defense in a capable start against a hard-hitting team.

"He did okay the first time through the order," said Samano.  "These guys are going to catch up to him here.  Our defense wasn't great.  But we didn't hit again.  We didn't hit down here."

Actually, Post 20 did put up eight runs in the third place game Sunday.  The CP team was down to nine players and they mounted an 8-1 lead in the final game.  But with no pitching to go to, Post 20 lost 9-8, their third consecutive loss in Vigo County.

It wasn't totally unexpected.  Post 20 (6-8) was playing without core hitters Chris Saroff and Matt Dobin, who could not make the trip to Terre Haute.  Add to that, the fact that CPHS varsity players Russell Chick and Kyle Bacon plus starting pitchers Eric Clayton and Michael Hernandez were unavailable last weekend because they play on the CPHS summer team, and Post 20 was overmatched by some of Indiana's top programs.

Post 20 runs into this problem every year.  Some boys sign up for American Legion baseball because they want to play a lot of games close to home, while others actually look forward to the few road trips.  Chris Saroff went to the University of Indianapolis (where he'll be a scholarship baseball player next season) for an orientation.  High school seniors have 'open houses' for friends and family and you really can't be a no-show at your own open house.

"I don't have any problem with kids going to their colleges," said Samano, who was down to nine players by Sunday.  "But we're playing top teams here.  That's what you want.  A lot of these guys are getting a lot of at-bats and they're getting a lot out of it.  I suppose that's a good thing."

The big 'plus' over the weekend was CP's 7-2 win over Evansville (7-6) and the victory by Kouts right-hander Morgan Drazer (2-1), a tall right-hander who will be a junior this fall.  Drazer had thrown well earlier, but Evansville was the best team he had beaten.  Kouts' Marty Rasala pitched well in a 4-0 loss to Madison Post 9 (9-3) but Post 20 got no runner beyond second base in that game Saturday morning.

Bristol split a double-header in Crown Point two weeks ago, but they were clearly better Saturday night.  Post 20 got even more shorthanded when second baseman Mark Myszkowski got into a 'stare-down' with Bristol first baseman Jeremy Howard.  Myszkowski was sliding into first with a rundown when he took exception to an overly aggressive tag by Howard.  The Post 20 infielder jumped up and faced off with Howard but did not throw a punch.  He was ejected for starting the disturbance, probably an overreaction by the umpire.  Bristol coach Mike Doherty later came over to talk to Myszkowski on the Post 20 bench in an effort to smooth things over.

Post 20 had come off of two consecutive shutouts in the two days before the Terre Haute tournament of Hobart, 10-0 on a 15-strikeout win by Hernandez and 10-0 in five innings on an 8-0, 10-strikeout win by Saroff.  But as Samano said of the competition after the first three games in Terre Haute.

"This isn't Hobart.  It's just hard to beat this kind of competition if you don't have a full boat of players."

LEGION NOTES:  Kouts' Andy Rasala got the only base hit for Post 20 in an 11-1 loss to Terre Haute Post 346 (13-2).  Rasala is the younger brother of Marty Rasala, who was one of the top-10 players in the Porter County Conference (PCC) this spring.  Post 20 manager Larry Samano is inquiring about the availability of Kouts senior Andrew Duncan (.400, 8 HRs, 30 RBIs) who was 7-2 as a pitcher in the Porter County Conference (PCC).  According to American Legion rules, you take players by school and since Post 20 already has Morgan Drazer and the Rasala brothers, they get the first choice of any other Kouts players who wish to play Legion ball.  Duncan plays for the Kouts high school summer league team.

Bristol Post 143 might be more formidable than it, at first, appears.  On the Post 143 roster is listed LaPorte high school's top two pitchers Ian Nielsen (8-2) and Neal Hackett (8-2), plus the Slicers sophomore center fielder Kyle Rosenbaum (.356).  LaPorte high school has a summer team so the Slicers were not available in June.  Those boys are expected to be added to the team once the summer season ends and they will be major additions.  It is unusual for LaPorte high school players to play American Legion baseball because there is no baseball playing post in LaPorte County.

The Terre Haute North facility, on the far northwest side of the city, is good quality with high rising stands that seat about 200 and good lighting.  The Terre Haute Invitational formerly was played at the 'Boys and Girls' club in Terre Haute, but ownership of that complex has changed hands.  Some say the site has fallen into disrepair while others contend the legion and the new management simply could not reach an agreement.  Either way, Terre Haute North is an upgrade.  Terre Haute North has 2,134 students, very much the size of Crown Point or Merrillville.  The actual name of the school is Terre Haute North Vigo because the school draws not only from the city of Terre Haute but the entire north end of Vigo county, where Terre Haute is located.  Terre Haute South has 1,921 students, according to the IHSAA and West Vigo, the only other school in the county and a 3A school, has 689 students.

Bristol Post 143 draws from Elkhart Central, Concord, Goshen, Jimtown and LaPorte.  All except LaPorte are Elkhart County schools.

2007 American Legion
CROWN POINT Post 20 (7-8)

"A" TEAM (19 and under) SCHEDULE
Manager Larry Samano (ages 19-and-under)

6/5 - @ HAMMOND 168B   (postponed)
6/7  -  HAMMOND 168A   (postponed)
6/9 (W) 4-2  LOWELL 101 (0-2)
6/10 (L) 0-2  BRISTOL 143 @ 20A
6/10 (W) 5-4  Bristol Post 143

6/12 (W) 0-0 @ EAST CHICAGO 369     
6/14 (L) 7-8 @ HIGHLAND 180           
6/15 (W) 14-4 (5 inn.) ILLINOIS. LIGHTNING   
6/16 (L) 1-2 CEDAR LAKE 261         
6/19 (W) 8-0 HOBART (54)  
6/20 (W) 10-0 (5 inn.) HOBART (54)

Terre Haute Invitational
6/21 (L) 1-11 Terre Haute (346)
6/22 (W) 7-2  Evansville (246)
6/23 (L) 0-4 Madison (9)
6/24 (L) 1-7 Bristol (143)
6/25 (L) 8-9 Bristol (143)

6/26 (W) 4-0 WHITING (80)
6/27 WED PLYMOUTH 27 @ 20A   7 PM  
6/28 THUR @ LOWELL 101   6 PM
6/29 SAT HAMMOND 168B   6:30 PM
7/3 TUE @ HAMMOND 168A   6 PM
7/6 FRI EAST CHICAGO 369   6 PM
7/7 SAT @ CEDAR LAKE 261   3 PM at HC
7/8 SUN ANDERSON 127   NOON DH 

7/10 TUES HIGHLAND 180   6 PM
7/14 SAT KOKOMO 6   1 PM  DH  
7/15 SUN LAFAYETTE 11 - NOON  20A @ 20B   6 PM - TEAM-PICNIC

7/19 THUR WHITING 80   7 PM
7/20 FRI  PLYMOUTH 27   7 PM 
7/21 SAT @ VALPARAISO 94   --   1 PM at Washington Township

7/22 MON CROWN POINT SECTIONAL  (with Lowell, Cedar Lake and Hobart)

 

CROWN POINT Post 20 (6-3)
 "B" TEAM (17 and under) SCHEDULE

MANAGER: Marty Zubriggen
6/5  (W)   9-6  LOWELL (101)
6/6   (L)   2-3  Hammond (168) B
6/11 (L)   5-11 HOBART(54)
6/13 (L)   9-10 @ HIGHLAND (180)

6/15 (W) 12-6  ILLINOIS LIGHTNING
6/20 (W) 17-3  @ WHITING 80 
6/21 (W) 14-13 (8 innings) CEDAR LAKE (261)
 
6/25 (W) 0-0  EAST CHICAGO 369
6/25 (W)  0-0 EAST CHICAGO  369

6/27 WED  20B @ CEDAR LAKE 261  (Rain)
6/30 SAT  20B @ LOWELL 101  3 PM

7/1 SUN  BRISTOL 143B @ 20B  1 PM     DH   
7/3 TUE  HIGHLAND 180 @ 20B  6 PM
7/5 THUR  WHITING 80 @ 20B  7 PM
7/7 SAT  VALPO 94 @ 20B   3 PM
7/12 THUR  20B @ HAMMOND 168A  6 PM
7/13 FRI  HOBART 54  @ 20B   6 PM
7/13 FRI  HOBART 54 @ 20B   8 PM
7/14 SAT  20B @ TERRE HAUTE 346 1PM EST     DH
7/16 MON  20B @ HAMMOND 168B  6 PM

7/17 TUE  20B @ 20A   6 PM - CROWN POINT - TEAM PICNIC
7/18 WED  HAMMOND 168B @ 20B   6 PM
7/19 THUR  20B @ EAST CHICAGO 369   6 PM
7/21 SAT  CEDAR LAKE 261 @ 20B     3 PM

*  all home games played at Post 20's Teagle Field
*  admission is free to all non-tournament games.