Crown Point (20) defeats Lafayette (11) 10-6 in American Legion Baseball
	A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith 7-12-2010

Saturday, 7-10-2010  -  85-degrees at Teagle Field at CROWN POINT, IN

WP - Mike Schroeder (4-2) CG, 7K, 0 walks
LP - Brett Haan (2-2) 3K, 4 walks (6 inn.)

Lafayette Post 11 (12-10)
(Harrison) Tyler Dark (C) 1-for-5
(Jefferson) Brandon Adams (RF) 1-for-4
(Harrison) Ryan Black (SS) 1-for-4
(Lafayette Catholic) Scott Windler (1B) 1-for-4, double, 2 RBIs
(Jefferson) DJ Frederick (LF) 1-for-4
(Lafayette Catholic) Chris Babillo (3B) 1-for-4
(Jefferson) Evan Minzler (DH) 2-for-4, HR, double, 4 RBIs
(Harrison) Ayrton Siple (2B) 0-for-4
(Harrison) Shane Sullivan (CF) 2-for-3, double

CROWN POINT Post 20 (17-5)
(CP) Beau LaSalle (2B) 1-for-4, walk
(CP) Scott Donley (SS) 2-for-4, HR, Sac. Fly, 2 RBIs
(CP) Jeff Limbaugh (LF) 2-for-5
(North Newton-Triton JC) Mike Schroeder (P) 2-for-4, walk
(CP) Colin Casey (C-3B) 2-for-5, double
(CP) Jake Lindeman (1B) 1-for-3, 2 walks
(MERRILLVILE) Xavier Ponce (RF) 1-for-3, sac. bunt
(CP) Joe Hopman (CF) 0-for-3, Sac Fly, RBI
(CP) Jose Andrade (C) 2-for-4, double, RBI

CROWN POINT (07-10-2010) The more Crown Point Post 20 sees competition outside the area, the more they realize their biggest post-season battles may be inside the area.

CP, shorthanded without all-stater Josh Negele and top right-hander Mike Manion, still appeared to be at least the equal of Lafayette Post 11 in a 10-6 win in the mid-summer sun Saturday at Teagle Field.

The victory, behind left-hander Mike Schroeder, gave CP a 17-5 regular season record heading into the sectional opener Wednesday night against rival Hammond Post 168.

Post 11, one of the perennial powers in American Legion baseball, took a 6-5 sixth-inning lead on a two-run homer by Harrison high school's Eric Muinzer off Schroeder, who did not walk a batter all day.

Trailing 5-4, CP got a two-run single from Jake Lindeman to put the home team ahead against right-hander Brett Haan.

After a single from Xavier Ponce, Lafayette manager Dan Yeoman went to his bullpen for right-hander DJ Frederick.  Post 20's Joe Hopman lifted a sacrifice fly to left to make it 8-6 and Jose Andrade's single upped the score to 9-6.

Crown Point split with Post 27, lost one of three to Highland, and lost three other games to non-Legion teams in weekend tournaments.

CP was disappointed to have games against Bristol Post 143 and Kenosha (Wis.) Post 21 rained out, but the regular season went about as well as could have been expected.

"This is fun," said infielder Beau LaSalle, who is not eligible to return to American Legion baseball in 2011.  "I'm having a great time.  I don't really have anything to play for anymore, so I'm just spending my last time with my guys.  We're playing to win, of course."

"I wasn't going to play.  I was going to work all summer.  But when I was lucky enough to get that scholarship, I didn't have to work to pay for school.  So I'm just out here to spend my last summer with my guys before they all go off to play baseball or go to school.  Just making memories."

Lafayette manager Dan Yeoman seemed upset about the loss, but he didn't say so publicly.

"A 14-10 record is not what we expected," he said for the record.  "But I'm not disappointed in it.  We talk about getting ready for the next level.  At 18 years old, there's all kinds of things gong on.  All these kids are going to play in college or back in high school next year except for two."

"We've got college visits and one kid who's had to go to football so he's missed time.  I haven't had more than 16 at any time all year.  We had 12 today, but that's not horrible.  We were ready to play a double-header.  I found out last night at 8:30 p.m. that we were only going to play one game."

Post 20 wasn't that concerned with Lafayette because Post 11 is not in CP's sectional or regional field.  There is intrigue for some of the Post 20 boys who are in American Legion ball for the first time because they've always played in single-elimination high school playoffs with seven inning games.  Double-elimination, nine-inning American Legion playoff games are a very different thing.

"I've never really played double-elimination except in some weekend tournaments," Beau LaSalle said.  "I don't know if it will feel different from high school.  We're playing to win.  We've got a good team and we know it.  We've got our high school team here and we're looking to make up what we didn't do in high school this year."

POST NOTES:  Post 11 manager Dan Yeoman seemed more upset that Crown Point changed the date from a double-header to one nine-inning game than he did about his team's poor performance.  But he seemed confused about why they didn't come.

"We have a tournament and we invite northern teams every year," said the longtime Post 11 boss. "And they never come."

The conventional logic around Post 20 was that Post 11 would not play Post 20 after an incident in the regional tournament as few year ago.  The two posts have not met in three years until Saturday.

"I've only been here twice in 32 years.  When Tony was here," he said of former manager Tony Samano, "he'd rather play us at Loeb (Stadium, Post 11 's home) than play us here."

The comment was odd since CP obviously agreed to play Post 11.  Post 20 plans to return the visit to Lafayette next season, but why American Legion teams do not play three or four game series like pro teams do is not certain.

If you travel and play a Friday night game, stay over and play two more Saturday and a fourth game early Sunday, you might draw more fans than you would shifting six teams through a double-elimination bracket where nobody knows for sure when their team is playing.  The visiting team would pay the same tab at the hotel and if the team is in town for the weekend, they don't have to stress out rain delays.

Crown Point infielder Beau LaSalle, a regular on the third-ranked Crown Point Bulldogs this spring and a starter for Post 20 this summer, has received a scholarship for college, but it's not a baseball scholarship.

"I had a 3.8 grade point average and that had something to do with it," said LaSalle, who will got to Indiana University for free.  "But it wasn't based on that.  I had to interview with the Crown Point Community Foundation and they made me eligible for about 70 scholarships."

"I actually received the Dean White scholarship.  They pick a boy and a girl from Crown Point each year.  I was lucky enough to get that.  My parents are really happy.  I was thinking about Wabash College.  But when I got this scholarship, I just thought I was blessed and I decided to focus tremendously on that."

Scott Donley, who homered Saturday in the first inning, was also 3-for-4 Friday night with a home run as Post 20 topped East Chicago 14-2.  Jeff Limbaugh pitched four innings for the win and Mike Schroeder added a home run.  Of Post 20's six CPHS graduates, only Donley is eligible to return to American Legion play in 2011.

Crown Point Post 20 (13-4)
Manager Marty Zurbriggen - home games at Teagle Field - post number in parenthesis
Crown Point Post 20 (17-5)
6-9 (L) 7-10 Highland-180.
6-10 (canceled - rain) at Bristol (143)
6-12 (W) 10-3 South Bend (50)
6-12 (W) 3-0 South Bend (50)
6-13 (canceled) Kenosha, Wisconsin (21)
6-15 (rain) Hammond (168)

West Lafayette Invitational
6-17 (W) 3-0 Decatur (Ill.) Commodores
6-19 (W) 10-3 Indiana Renegades
6-19 (W) 2-1 Indiana Black Sox
6-20 (W) 11-0 (5 inn.) Hoosier Express
6-20 (L) 2-3 Bloomington Normal

Cincinnati (Ohio) Flames, Wooden Bat Tournament
6-24 (W) 2-1 (Lakewood, Ohio) J&A all-stars
6-25 (L) 2-4 (Nicholasville, Ky.) Kentucky Baseball Club
6-25 (L) 1-3 (Columbus, Ohio) Team EAS
6-26 (W) 8-5 (Cincinnati )Playground All Stars

6-29 (W) 6-2 at Highland-180)
6-30 (W) 3-2 at Highland-180)
7-1 (W) 12-7 at East Chicago-369)
7-2 (W) 13-2 (5 inn.) Highland 180-B
7-3 (W) 16-3 (5 inn.) Plymouth-27 (13-5)
7-5 (L) 3-6 at Plymouth Post 27 (13-5)
7-6 (W) 3-2 Norwood, Ill Blues
7-7 (W) 3-2 Hammond-168 (17-5)
7-9 (W) 14-2 East Chicago-369
7-10 (W) 10-6 Lafayette-11 (12-10)

CROWN POINT (20) Sectional
double-elimination with Highland (180), Hammond (168) & East Chicago (369)
7-14 (Wed) Hammond-168 (17-5) 5 p.m.
7-15 (Th) vs Highland Post 180 or East Chicago Post 369
7-16 (F) elimination game
7-17 (Sat) final round - (TBA)
7-18 (Sun) final round - (TBA)

CROWN POINT (20) Regional
4 sectional champions at Post 20
7-23 (F) 1st round double-header
7-24 (Sat) 3 games
7-25 (Sun) final round (TBA)

2010 American Legion State Finals
4 regional champions and host- double-elimination at Plymouth (27)
7-30 (F) 1st round double-header
7-31 (Sat) 3 games
8-1 (Sun) final round (TBA)

2010 American Legion Midwest Regional
7 state champs and host - double-elimination at Mattoon, Ill (88)
8-5 (Th) 1st round games
8-6 (F) elimination games
8-7 (Sat) elimination games
8-8 (Sun) final round (TBA)
8-9 Mon) final round (if necessary)