Crown Point beats Mishawaka 10-0, captures Babe Ruth State Title (age 15 and under)
A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith  (7-26-2007)

Saturday, July 21, 2007 - Babe Ruth all-star state finals, winner's bracket semifinal at LaPorte High School in LaPORTE, IN

WP - Josh Negele (4-0) CG, 10K, 2 walks (109 pitches)
LP - Johnny Mills (2-1) CG, 2K, 2 walks (92 pitches)

CROWN POINT (6-0)
Josh Negele (P) Double, single, RBI
Scott Donley (SS) Double, 2 singles, 4 RBIs
Eli Kvachkoff (LF) 2 singles, 2 runs scored

Anderson (6-1)
Blake Wilson (SS) Double, RBI
John Weis (1B) Single, RBI
Jake Bolinger (C) Double, run scored
Blake Streaty (2B) 2 singles

Monday, July 23, 2007 - Babe Ruth all-star state finals, championship round game one at LaPorte High School in LaPORTE, IN

WP - Ben Versyp (3-1) CG, 5K, 7 walks (127 pitches)
LP - Josh Negele (4-1) CG, 6K, 2 walks (128 pitches)

CROWN POINT (8-1)
Josh Negele (P) Double, RBI
Scott Donley (SS) 2 singles, RBI
Spencer Rapchak (1B) Single, 2 walks
Tim Pruim (CF) 2 singles, 2 walks

Mishawaka (7-3)
Cody Barrier (SS) 2 doubles, 2 singles, 3 RBIs
Al White (3B) Single, walk, RBI
Frank Sutphin (CF) 2 singles

LaPORTE (7-26-2007) - The drama in the 15-year-old Babe Ruth bracket is that it’s your ‘senior year’.  There is no 16-year-old bracket, to speak of.  If you play Babe Ruth baseball, age-15 is your last chance.  So when the undefeated Crown Point 15-and-under all-stars lost for the first time in the double-elimination state finals at LaPorte 6-4 to Mishawaka Monday night, suddenly it was all on the line.  Suddenly, CP was simultaneously one game from the title and one game from elimination, a defeat that would be very hard to accept.

“We turned down a lot other stuff this year,” said CP ‘s Beau LaSalle.  “A lot of us could have gone to American Legion or to other places.  But this team has been a team since we were 9-years-old.  As 13 and 14 year-olds we came up short.”

Late Monday night, LaSalle and the CP 15s didn’t come up short.  In the winner-take-all title game, the CP 15s won the Northern State championship with a 10-0 five inning rout of Mishawaka (7-4).  The CP 15s (9-1) will travels to Robinson, Illinois next week to open the Ohio Valley Regional against the West Virginia state champ at 2:30 p.m. Friday, August 3.
And yes, they will go.  At least that's what they said in the glow of victory Monday night.

Despite an Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) rule which threatens penalties to any team which has more than five members of any high school program still playing after the state of the fall sports season (which begins on Monday), the CP 15s say they will risk whatever suspensions they may get from the high school governing board to attempt to win the 10-team, Ohio Valley Regional and qualify for the Babe Ruth World Series.

“Coach met with the state commissioner (Tom Wright),” Lasalle said, “and he said we’re going to file a protest with the IHSAA.”

But assistant coach Aaron Mullinax added, “There’s not set punishment for any of the rules of the IHSAA.  If it (the appeal) doesn't work out, we’re just going to go anyway. If they play the way they can, they can beat anybody.”

The reason for the post-season is the ‘big stage’, a once-in-a-lifetime chance for boys to grab the big trophy.

That’s what LaSalle did Monday night.  After Mishawaka had handed undefeated CP left-hander Josh Negele his first loss of the season, LaSalle, who is normally an infielder, took the mound in the deciding game.  He threw 95 pitches and, which nine Mishawaka batters reached base, none scored. And with his team leading 8-0 in the bottom of the fifth, LaSalle activated the 10-run rule with a two-run single to left, touching off a late night celebration under the artificial light at LaPorte’s Scheriber Field.

“Beau doesn't like to pitch,” said teammate Spencer Rapchak.  “I dont know why.  He really came through today.”

Lasalle admitted during the victory celebration that, after Josh Negele, who was undefeated all year, pitched on two days rest and lost in the first championship round game Monday night.  He hoped he wasn't ‘Plan B’.

“Well, yes,” he said when asked whether he’d hoped the ball would go to someone else.  “I found out I was going to pitch about five minutes before the game.  Coach asked me if I could go and I thought about it a minute.  But we had to play two games today and I would do anything for this team.  I said ‘Okay.'

The first two batters reached base in the top of the first inning but LaSalle, a 5-foot-9 right-hander, returned the next three hitters.  CP scored three times in the bottom of the first inning including a two-out,  RBI-title from state finals MVP Scott Donley and the CP 15s were off and running.  In the second inning, Kevin Demeuse doubled to right center and scored on an error.  With two out, relief pitcher Frank Sutphin was greeted by an RBI single from Colin Casey and a two-run double from Eli Kvachkoff.  With the score 8-0, it was only a matter of whether the game would go seven innings.  LaSalle helped Mishawaka leave nine runners on base and in the fifth inning with two out, LaSalle’s single to left created the 10-run margin and ended the title game.

“He hadn’t pitched since the district finals at Munster,” explained manager Rich Negele, who made the pitching choice.  “Donley pitched yesterday (91 pitches in a 10-2 win over Mishawaka) and we could only go with him for an inning or so.  Beau had our freshest arm.  And we had others ready if he got in trouble.  But I have faith in him.  And he really came through for us.”

Mishawaka was a worthy opponent.  The St. Joseph’s county boys, who had lost only twice to LaPorte coming into the finals, won twice Sunday to reach the final round, including a 6-0 victory over LaPorte.  In the first game Monday night Ben Versyp, the nephew of Purdue women’s basketball coach Sharon Versyp, survived seven walks and nine CP hits to win 6-4.  Josh Negele, who was 7-0 at CPHS this spring and 4-0 in all-star play, pitching on 48 hours rest after a complete game win over Aberson Saturday, also gave up nine hits, including four to Mishawaka’s top player, shortstop Cody Barrier.  Between games, CP had to face elimination for the first time.

“We didn't really say anything,” said Rapchak.  “We just really knew we could beat this team because we beat them 10-2 (Sunday).  We were just too anxious in the first game. we left too many (12) on base.  But we knew we’d win.  We were third two years ago at the state finals and second to Dyer last year.“

Brad Pusateri has been on the team all this time.

“After three years we finally made it,” he smiled as his teammates celebrated the biggest win of all.  “All of us remember when we were 13 and we first came to the Babe Ruth Field.  We saw the sign with the names of the state championship team.  Now our names are going to be up there.”

FINALS NOTES:  As sure as the CP 15s were Monday night that they would go to the Ohio Valley Regional next week, that's how certain Crown Point high school was late in the week that they would not sanction the continued play, which is against a controversial IHSAA rule.

CPHS said Thursday they do not want the CP 15s to continue in the Babe Ruth tournament due to the IHSAA rule, which bans summer teams (of more than 5) or any kind from the same school from playing after the fall sports season has begun.

"It's IHSAA rule 15-2.2," said athletic director Bill Dorulla.  "As the head of the athletic department at the high school, I do not want them to break an IHSAA rule.  A rule is a rule."

Dorulla confirms that the boys who played as a team after July 30 (the first day of fall practice) would be suspended for 15% of the 2008 season.  He adds that Crown Point High School would also get a 'warning' for violating a rule and while he saw both penalties as negative, it was the latter that leans on the high school's territory.

"I have to look out for our athletic program," said Dorulla.  "I would have to turn them in.  We are a member of the IHSAA and we can't have it on record that CP knowingly breaks IHSAA rules."

Dorulla explains the rule as something that small schools wanted basically to encourage athletes to play fall sports.

"The reason for the rule doesn't affect Crown Point," he explained.  "We have good numbers.  But small schools may only have a pool of 30 athletes to choose from.  They don't want them playing fall sports away from the school.  They want the summer sports to end when the fall sports begin.  We went through this last year with the (2006 CP Post 20) American Legion team.  There won't be any waiver from the IHSAA and we would have to turn them in."

The majority of the CP 15s played on the CPHS freshman squad last spring.  Most of the boys had trouble grasping the need for the IHSAA rule, which prohibits large numbers of players from playing on a team in an out-of-season sport once fall practice begins.  As something that small schools wanted to keep potential football, cross country or soccer athletes out of fall baseball and AAU fall programs, late.  Late summer baseball championship teams were not considered one way or the other.

“I really want to keep playing,” said Spencer Rapchak.  “I just don't know what the rule is all about.”

“All I know,” said Beau LaSalle, “is that the cut off date is July 30 and if you have five or more members of the same team, you’re ineligible.  It's just a stupid rule that only Indiana has.”

The CP 15s were met by the fire department at the city limits for a late night victory caravan around the CP courthouse square and a courthouse square commemorative celebration was to be held next week.

2007 Babe Ruth all-star state finals (15s) state finals double-elimination
 at Ron Reed Field - LaPorte (12 teams)

7/13 (F) Griffith 9, Kokomo 4
7/13 (F) Hammond 5, LaPorte 2
7/14 (Sat) CROWN POINT 12, Elkhart 4
7/14 (Sat) Anderson 3, Knox 2
7/14 (Sun) Mishawaka 10, Griffith 8
7/14 (Sun) Hammond 8,  Marion 2
7/15 (Sun) CROWN POINT 5, Blackford 1
7/15 (Sun) Anderson 10, Peru 9
7/15 (Sun)  Elkhart 9,  Griffith 8
7/15 (Sun) Knox 14,  Marian 0
7/16 (M)  Blackford  7, Kokomo 3
7/16 (M) LaPorte 5,  Peru 1

(15s) state finals double-elimination
 at Schreiber Field - LaPorte (12 teams)
7/20 (F) Elkhart 4,  Knox 2
7/20 (F) LaPorte 11, Blackford 0
7/21 (Sat) Mishawaka 5,  Hammond 4
7/21 (Sat) CROWN POINT 6,  Anderson  2
7/21 (Sat) LaPorte 7, Hammond 3
7/21 (Sat) Anderson 15,  Elkhart 8
7/22 (Su) CROWN POINT 10, Mishawaka 2
7/22 (Su) LaPorte 9,  Anderson 7
7/22 (Su) Mishawaka 6,   LaPorte 0
7/23 (M) Mishawaka 6, CROWN POINT 4
7-23 (M) CROWN POINT 10, Mishawaka 0 - title
* winner advances to the Ohio Valley Regional
 in Robinson, Illinois.

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Revised: July 28, 2007.