Highland (180) sweeps Crown Point (20) to advance to American Legion Regional at Plymouth
	A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith 7-17-2011

Friday, 7-15-2011  -  78-degrees, double elimination at Teagle Field in CROWN POINT, IN

WP - Nick Mason (2-1) CG, 5K 1 walk
LP - Zach Plesac (1-3) 4K, 5 walks (3 inn.)

HIGHLAND (180)
Billy Gerstner (CF) 1-for-3, 3 walks
Jordan Minch (RF) 2-for-6
John Livingston (3B) 2-for-4, 2 walks
John Cristo (1B) 2-for-6, double
Rick Fowler (2B) 1-for-4, 2 walks
Tariq Suboh (C) 0-for-3, 3 walks
DJ Maginot (DH) 0-for-3, walk
Jordan Polito (SS) 2-for-4, walk, HBP
Mike Gamaleri (1B) 2-for-5, walk

CROWN POINT (20)
Zach Plesac (P-3B) 0-for-4
Tyler Simmons (3B-CF) 1-for-3, walk
Jose Andrade (C) 0-for-4
Jake Lindeman 2B-1B) 1-for-4
CJ Becerra (LF) 0-for-4
Brett Bayer (SS) 0-for-3, HBP
Kevin Brunski (CF) 0-for-1
Ron Plesac (1B-P) 0-for-2
Adam Kutemeier (RF) 2-for-3
 

Thursday, 7-14-2011  -  75-degrees at Teagle Field in CROWN POINT, IN

WP - Jordan Minch (3-2) 12K, 0 walks (7.3 inn)
SAVE (Highland) Jordan Polito 0k, 2 walks ( 1.7 inn.)
LP - Ryan Hunter (3-2) 10K, 1 walk (8 inn.)

Highland Post 180
Mike Gamaleri (LF) 1-for-5
Billy Gertsner (CF) 0-for-2, Sac Fly
Jordan Minch (P) 0-for-5
Johnny Cristo (1B) 0-for-4
John Livingston (SS) 1-for-2, double
Tariq Suboh (C) 0-for-4
Rich Fowler (2B) 2-for-4
Cody Moskovsky (RF) 2-for-4
DJ Maginot (3B) 0-for-4

CROWN POINT Post 20
Zach Plesac (3B) 0-for-3, walk
Nick Brun (DH) 0-for-1 2 walks
Jake Lindeman (2B) 0-for-4
Jake Negele (1B) 0-for-3, walk
CJ Becerra (LF) 1-for-4
Aaron Orosz (RF) 0-for-3, walk
Alex Doppler (C) 1-for-4, double
Bret Bayer (SS) 0-for-3, walk
Kevin Brunski (CF) 0-for-3, walk

CROWN POINT (07-15-2011) Nobody left Crown Point Friday night wondering who the better team was in the best-of-3 game American Legion Sectional playoff series between Crown Point and Highland. After Highland Post 180 held on to top CP 4-2 in Thursday night's game one, Highland won the second game 9-0 to advance to next week's Plymouth Regional. Highland (11-9) will play a regional semifinal game Thursday night at Bill Nixon Field.

"We were playoff ready," said Highland manger George Bizoukas. "This is very gratifying. We got good pitching and we were ready to play. Except for the runners left on base."

Highland left 18 men on base, which almost certainly is a Post 180 record. The maximum number of runners that can possibly be left on base in a nine-inning game is 27. Post 180 left the bases loaded four times.

"I thought we were very patient at the plate. And we are a little older than they are."

"We just can't hit," said CP Post 20 manager Marty Zurbriggen. "It's been that way all season. Once we're down four or five runs, we can't come back. It was the same way at the high school."

What was lost in CP's five game run to the sectional and regional championships in the high school season was that Crown Point didn't score more than five runs in any of their six high school post-season games. Post 20 inherited a team that didn't hit very well from the Crown Pint high school and that team didn't hit very well during the short summer season.

Highland scored in the first inning on a single by Jordan Polito, but CP starter Zach Plesac struck out Jordan Minch with the bases loaded to end that threat. Highland scored three more in the third. But Plesac, a CPHS junior, struck out Minch again with the bases loaded to end the rally after he had walked Billy Gerstner with the bases full.

Highland scored three times in the fifth against Zach's brother Ronnie Plesac. With two out, Highland's Johnny Cristo sliced a three-run double to the left field wall, effectively ending the game and the series.

"He had an open house (Saturday)," said Bizoukas. "He wanted to get the series over with."

Crown Point (9-12-1) needed to win the first game to have a chance. The Post 20 roster had only three true pitchers in LC alum Ryan Hunter, Zach and Ronnie Plesac. Everyone else is a position player who 'can' pitch. You can get away with a makeshift pitching crew during the American Legion regular season, but it won't carry you very far in the playoffs, when all games are nine innings in length.

This team was in trouble when CPHS grads Nick Nauracy and Mike Manion, both top starting pitchers, decided not to play, as they were expected to. Even had Post 20 managed to get past Highland, they'd have been woefully short of pitching for the four-team Plymouth Regional.

LEGION NOTES: Highland hopes to get Munster football star Mark Strbjak back for the regional. Strbjak a 6-foot-2 right-handed pitcher, will be needed in the four team regional where Post 180 must play at least three times.

Crown Point was without top hitter Jose Andrade for the first game and it showed as they were held to just two hits, singles by Alex Doppler and CJ Becerra. Doppler was unavailable for game two. Frequent game-night absences hurt Post 20 all summer. If everyone on the CP roster returns in 2012 (which is always a big 'if'), Post 20 brings back everyone but Ryan Hunter, Jake Negele and Alex Doppler. The Plesac brothers are only high school juniors and have three more Legion seasons, if they wish.

The Plesac's are not eligible to play on the CP Post 20 'B' team (age 17 and under) even though they are both 16. They are not on the 'B' team roster because that would have required them to play for the 'B' team until that squad was eliminated.

Post 20 may have to reevaluate whether they only want CPHS players on the American Legion rosters.

"On the 'B' team that's okay," said manager Marty Zurbriggen. "That works. But we cant get enough of the older players to make the commitment. This year we had Ryan Hunter from Lake Central and we needed him. It's hard to get the older boys to play."

Several years back, Post 20 got some players from Hanover Central, a school that went to the 2A state finals last spring. The advantage of signing Hanover players is that the school does not have football, so boys do not have to beg off summer baseball games for football workouts.

AMERICAN LEGION
2011 Baseball Remaining Schedule

PLYMOUTH (27) Regional
July 22 (Fri.) 1st round games
July 23 (Sat) 2nd round games
July 24 (Sun) championship round

2011 State finals at ROCKPORT (254)
Joe Allen Hargic Field
July 29 (Fri) 1st round games
July 30 (Sat) 2nd round games
July 31 (Sun) championship round

Great Lakes Regional
Gerace Stadium - Division II Midland College
Midland (165) Michigan
Aug. 4 (Thurs) 1st round games
Aug. 5 (Fri) 1st round games
Aug. 6 (Sat) 2nd round games
Aug. 7 (Sun) elimination games
Aug. 8 (Mon) championship round