Andrean shuts out Lowell 7-0 to continue early season winning streak

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

4-14-2007

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
ANDREAN (5-0)	1	0	0	2	3	1	0	7	9	0
LOWELL (1-2)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	1

WP - Adam Norton (2-0) 7K, 0 walks (6 innings)
LP - Brian Gerlach (0-1) 1K, 3 walks, 5 ERs (4 innings)
Nick Bolda (3 innings) 3K, 2 walks

ANDREAN (5-0, 3-0 LAC)
Austin Sutter (OF) Double, RBI
Thomas Polus (2B) 2 singles, RBI
Mike Arvin (CF) 2 singles, walk
Mike Pokers (3B) Sac. Fly, single, RBI
Eddie Reardon (DH) Walk, Sac Fly, RBI, 2 runs scored

LOWELL (1-2, 0-2 LAC)
Nate Korth (SS) 2 singles,
Zak Hoffman (1B) Single, HBP

LOWELL (4-13-2007) If you were looking for evidence that the young 2007 Andrean baseball team isn't as good as their undefeated status, you didn't find any Friday afternoon at Lowell. Sophomore right-hander Adam Norton pitched his second shutout of the year and the 59ers had base runners all over the place in a 7-0 win over the home Red Devils. Andrean (5-0) won decisively for the fourth time in five games and they, again, didn't get a real challenge. Going into Saturday's game with Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) powerhouse Chesterton, the 59ers had outscored five foes 37-4.

"They're a pretty good team," said Lowell coach Tom Stoner. "I thought we made some pretty good plays defensively, but they're pretty good."

The Niners scored immediately when Mike Arvin and Thomas Plus singled and Norton got an RBI on a line drive sacrifice fly ball to left field. In the fourth inning, RBI hits by Mike Pokers and Austin Sutter made it 3-0 against Lowell starting pitcher Brian Gerlach.

The Devils ran themselves out of the fourth innings when they should have scored against Norton. Nate Korth singled and Zak Hoffman smoked a fast ball off the right center field fence. But the 59er defense played the ball perfectly, holding Hoffman to a long single. When pinch runner Steve Harker replaced Hoffman at first base, he was promptly picked off base by catcher Kevin Franchetti, killing the inning.

In the fifth, the 59ers created a three-run inning. Mike Arvin walked before Thomas Polus faked a bunt and slapped a single to deep short. Norton then hit a hard ground ball just to the right of Lowell third baseman Derek Brandenburg. It was a tough play, but it was a double play if Brandenburg catches the ball cleanly. He could only deflect it and Andrean had the bases full. Eddie Reardon's single made it 4-0 and two sacrifice outs made it 6-0 and the game was out of reach.

Lowell didn't play badly defensively, but base running was another story. The Devils had four different players thrown out on the base. The fifth inning was a nightmare. Eric Roadruck laid down a bunt single, but he was thrown out trying for second base when the throw to first got away. Lowell's Matt Kay then struck out, but reached first base on a dropped third strike. Kay stole second base but he was later thrown out trying to advance to third on a ground ball back to Norton on the mound. David Lang then singled, but Derek Brandenburg struck out.

Take away the base running escapades and Lowell scores at least twice in the fifth inning. Still, Stoner felt a lot better about this loss to a state-rated team than he did the Devils 12-2 loss to Kankakee Valley four days earlier.

"Sometimes you've got to try to make something happen offensively," he said, not excusing the boo boos. "All in all, not horrible. We were closer and they're a much better ball club that KV. That's a pretty good pitcher and he's going to get better."

Norton is an impressive prospect. You should discount what a high school player does as a freshman, good or bad, until that player does it again. But in a season after one where he batted .524 and was 5-1 as a pitcher, Norton has begun the 2007 season with shutouts of Clark and Lowell. I hope no one expects Norton to bat .524 again, but he appears to be bigger physically than he was last year and he shows signs of being a dominant pitcher.

"When he got the ball up," said Pishkur, "they hit it. But when he keeps it down, he's tough. He doesn't have a good breaking ball, but you can see it starting to come now. He threw some good breaking pitches today. He's never thrown a good breaking pitch since he's come to our school. Against Clark (a 7-0 victory on April 6), he threw 74 pitches, 61 fastballs. Today was a big improvement over that."

Friday was a big improvement of Lowell's 12-2 loss four days earlier to Kankakee Valley. Bad base running aside, Lowell is getting base runners. Nate Korth's two singles means he's been on base seven times in three games while Jon Stoner's sixth inning double was his fifth hit in three contests.

"Realistically," said Stoner. "I don't think it was a 7-0 ball game. There were a couple of breaks that went their way that resulted in runs for them and there were a couple of breaks that resulted in no runs for us. They've played four games, we've played two.

"We're 1-2. We can play with them. When it comes down to it, the most important part of the season is the end."

DEVIL NOTES: Andrean pulled Adam Norton out of Friday's game after six innings to get another pitcher some playing time.

"Matt Imhausen is a guy we're grooming to be a closer," said Pishkur. "He has a nice heavy fastball. He throws strikes and he's got a good breaking pitch. He pitched in a JV game against Marian and in two innings, he struck out six guys. So, at that point we said, he's ready to come to the varsity."

Washington Township transfer Carl Chambers (1-0) is a work in progress said Pishkur, even though he was 7-1 at WT last season.

"We've smoothed him out," said Pishkur. "He's gotten a lot better since we got him. We'll pitch him Monday against Munster and if he throws strikes, they won't score off him. But he does not throw a lot of strikes. Every day is an adventure. We're hoping he can be in our top two by the season's end."

Lowell coach Tom Stoner absolved Eric Roadruck of blame for getting thrown out at second on a throwing error with his team trailing by six runs. Roadruck laid down a bunt single, but was thrown out when he tried to get to second base on a wild throw.

"When he came back to the dugout, John (first base coach Jon Becker) said, 'I sent him. I told him to go'," reported Stoner. "I would have, too. And if we'd been playing someone else, he'd have made it. Andrean made the play."

LOWELL (1-2, 0-2 LAC)
Coach Tom Stoner (3rd year) 9-20 in 2006
LAC games in CAPS - all games 4:45 unless indicated

3-30 (F) Lake Central (Rain) not yet rescheduled
4-5 (W) 6-4 Rensselaer (2-3)
4-9 (L) 2-12 (5 innings) KANKAKEE VALLEY (2-2)
4-11 (W) at HIGHLAND (3-1)

4-13 (L) 0-7 ANDREAN (5-0)
4-16 (M) BISHOP NOLL (1-4)
4-17 (Tu) vs. Hanover Central at US Steelyard - Gary - 7 p.m.
4-18 (W) at HOBART
4-19 (Th) at South Newton
4-20 (F) at MUNSTER
4-23 (M) GRIFFITH
4-25 (W) at Kankakee Valley
4-27 (F) HIGHLAND

Boone Grove Invitational
4-28 (S) semifinals - 9 a.m.
4-28 (S) 3rd place or championship (TBA)
4-30 (M) at ANDREAN
5-1 (Tu) Merrillville - 4:30 p.m.
5-2 (W) at BISHOP NOLL
5-3 (Th) HOBART - 4:30 p.m.
5-7 (M) MUNSTER
5-9 (W) at GRIFFITH
5-10 (Th) Hebron
5-11 (M) at Wheeler - 4:30 p.m.

LAC Tournament
5-14 (M) first round games
5-16 (W) quarterfinals and consolation games - 4:30.pm.
5-18 (F) Semifinal and consolation games - 4:30 p.m.
5-19 (S) 7th, 5th, 3rd and 1st place games

5-22 (Tu) at Crown Point - 4:30 p.m.
5-24 (Th) North Newton - 4:30 p.m.
5-25 (F) at LaPorte - 4:45 p.m.