Crown Point looks strong, beats Hammond 9-0 in Babe Ruth Tourney opener (age 13 and under)

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

(7-7-2005)

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
CROWN POINT (1-0)	1	2	1	2	0	0	2	9	12	1
HAMMOND (0-1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0

Wednesday, 7-6-2005 - 71 degrees, sunny - Babe Ruth 13s – Double-elimination at Crown Point

WP – Josh Neagle (1-0) 6K, 3 walks (6 inn.)

LP – Kevin Murphy (0-1) 2K, 3 walks (3.7 inn.)

CROWN POINT (1-0)

Colin Casey (RF) 3 singles, RBI, walks

Scott Donley (3B) 2 singles, HBP, 3 stolen bases

Josh Neagle (P) Double, single, RBI

Corbin Bish (PH) Double, RBI

Dale Caldwell (Catcher) Single, 3 RBIs

Beau LaSalle (SS) Single, walks

Spencer Rapchak (1B) Single, walk RBI

HAMMOND (0-1)

Alex Reillo (RF) Double

Zach Bear (Catcher) Single, walk

Chad Mysiewicz (CF) Single, stolen base

CROWN POINT (7-6-2005) If Crown Point's 13-year-old all-stars aren't going to win the District II title on their home field this week, there was no indication of that on Wednesday night.

“I think if we beat Valparaiso (Thursday) we're going,” said confident manager Eli Kvachkoff. “If we beat them, you can make reservations.”

The CP 13s, who barely lost 4-1 to state champion Highland last year as 12s, dominated Hammond 9-0 Wednesday to begin what they hope is a march to the state finals in Noblesville. Left-hander Josh Neagle pitched six shutout innings and right fielder Colin Casey reached base four times in a game where CP steadily built the lead.

There was no way of knowing how good the Hammond team is, but Crown Point collected 12 hits and made only one error in game one of the four they have to win at the district level.

In the new Babe Ruth baseball format, CP must win a five-team single-elimination tournament with Hammond, Merrillville, Duneland (Chesterton) and Valparaiso this week on their own home field.

The winner advances to the new 10-team double-elimination state finals next weekend in Noblesville.

Wednesday's game was not truly out of reach until CP scored three runs in the seventh inning. Neagle allowed only three base hits and three walks. The shutout was saved when CP center fielder Cody Stovall made a running catch of a seventh inning bases-loaded flyball and threw out Hammond's Michael Casillas at home plate.

“Neagle's improved but Cody is probably the most improved from Little League,” said Kvachkoff. “Him and Colin Casey. The big deal is the distances. Hitters get an extra second to see the pitch but the runners have trouble with the distance to the bases. They aren't as fast as they think they are.”

Kvachkoff does not have to get to know the boys on his Babe Ruth team because ten of them were on the 12-and-under Little League team he was a coach on last year. That is highly unusual. Players on good 12-year-old teams do not always stay together (or even continue the sport) when the Little League distances become regulation major league distances at age 13.

“You can thank Tom Patrick (the 12s 2004 manager) for that,” Kvachkoff said. “He took them to all kinds of tournaments and had them play all kinds of competition. He's the reason all of them made all stars again this year. He stayed with them.”

Kvachkoff has always felt this is a state championship bunch.

“You remember I said we were going a couple of years ago,” he reminded of his days as a 10-and-under manager. “I think this is it. I think we're going now.”

DISTRICT I - double-elimination (at CP)

JULY 5 (TU) DYER 12, Highland 2

JULY 5 (TU) Griffith 6, Munster 3

JULY 8 (F) DYER (1-0) vs. Griffith (1-0) 5:30 p.m.

JULY 8 (F) Highland (0-1) vs. Munster (0-1) 8 p.m.

JULY 9 (SAT) Loser's bracket final - 5:30 p.m.

JULY 9 (SAT) Final round - game one – 8 p.m.*

JULY 10 (SUN) Final round – game two – 12:30 p.m.*

DISTRICT II - double-elimination (at CP)

JULY 6 (W) CROWN POINT 9, Hammond 0

JULY 6 (W) Merrillville 0, Duneland 0

JULY 8 (TH) CP (1-0) vs. Valparaiso (0-0)

JULY 9 (SAT) CP or Valpo vs. Merrillville or Duneland

JULY 9 (SAT) Loser's bracket semifinal – 12:30 p.m.

JULY 9 (SAT) Loser's bracket final - 3 p.m.

JULY 10 (SUN) Final round – game one – 3 p.m.*

JULY 10 (SUN) Final round – game two – 5:30 p.m.*

***The District I and District II champs both advance to the double-elimination Babe Ruth state finals in Noblesville

RUTH NOTES: CP's 12-and-under Little League all-stars lost 4-1 to both Dyer and Highland in District play in 2004. The majority of Highland's state championship 12-and-under Little League team did not play Babe Ruth ball and the majority of Dyer's 12-and-under team did, as was evidenced by Highland's 12-2 loss to Dyer Tuesday.

Crown Point catcher Dale Caldwell, a surprise addition to the all-star team, drove in three runs against Hammond and caught a shutout.

“He played on a team that didn't win a game,” said manager Eli Kvachkoff of the regular season. “Sometimes those kids get overlooked. He blocks the ball well. He's got a good arm and he can hit.”

Kvachkoff was happy to be playing at home, CP's first time hosting a Babe Ruth District tournament in 10 years.

“It's great,” he said. “The field's in great shape. Jerry Tromp (who has tended to the CP Ruth field for over a decade) does a great job here. He's here all the time. He was here Sunday and he was here on the Fourth of July. I know because we couldn't get on the field.

“He is totally responsible for how good our field looks because a lot of times, he's doing it all by himself.”

Crown Point's Babe Ruth field sits north of a large metallic warehouse that stands behind the right field fence. The structure is an old golf equipment factory, a 'golf ball factory' as it is referred to. Many recent CP residents are unaware that is what the structure was.

The players just know that it's a target.

“Neagle hit two balls off that building in batting practice,” said Kvachkoff.