Crown Point quietly disposes Dyer 4-0 in Babe Ruth (age 14) state tournament opener

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

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

Babe Ruth age-14 state tournament opener, 7-1-2003
84 degrees, clear at Kane Field - Highland
WP- Matt Ernest (1-0) CG, 8Ks, 1 walk (103 pitches)
LP - Luke Jansma (0-1) 5Ks, 5 walks (5 innings - 106 pitches)

CROWN POINT
7 singles, 2 doubles
Matt Ernest (CP) 2 singles
Tommy Parks (CP) Double, single, RBI
Andy Higgins (CP) Double, single, RBI
Matthew Schweitzer (CP) 2 singles, stolen base
Tim Mummery (CP) 2 walks, RBI
Dustin Gibbon (CP) Single, walk, HBP

HIGHLAND (7-1-2003) - Every summer there are a handful of teams whose results are highly anticipated.

For 2003, it would be Dyer and Munster's 13-year-old Babe Ruth stars. Munster's 12s went to the state finals last year. Dyer's 10s were state champions three years ago.

Valparaiso's 15-and-under team, the senior Little League all-stars, who were state finalist squad as 14-year-olds.

But none may be more highly regarded than Crown Point's age-14 Babe Ruth stars. The CP 14s have eight players who advanced all the way to the state championship game of the Indiana Little League in August of 1995 only to lose 7-5 to Brownsburg.

It's hard to construct an all-star team so it helps if you get one that has a history.

"They are kind of quiet," said manager John Dallas, who is from Merrillville. "It does seem as if they've played together a long time."

It shows. In the state tournament opening game at Highland Kane Field Tuesday night, the CP 14s were unspectacular but untouched. Crown Point never trailed in a 4-0 victory over rival Dyer.
The CP 14s advance to a one p.m. game Saturday afternoon and a victory there would clinch a berth in the second round of the area playoffs. The top four teams at each eight-team site advance to the area 14-year-old playoffs, which will be held at Rohrman Park in Schererville.

Tall right-hander Matt Ernest actually pitched a seven-inning no-hit game, although the Highland tourney scorekeeper, with no allegiance to either side, called two infield plays base hits for Dyer.
In the second inning with two runners on base and no one out. Dyer's Joey Kawa laid down a sacrifice bunt that Ernest fielded easily. When CP second baseman Tim Mummery failed to cover first, Ernest had to hold the ball. That was ruled a base hit even though the correct call clearly would have been a sacrifice bunt and a fielder's choice.

In the sixth inning, Shane Colvin's slow ground ball to shortstop was bobbled by CP's Joey Patrick. Patrick's throw to first was low and wild and that too, was scored a hit by the kindly Highland scorekeeper.

Other than that, Ernest controlled the game. He alternated a good fastball with a soft, sharp breaking pitch, striking out eight and walking one inside a 103-pitch night.

"We're not going to get that kind of pitching every night," said coach Rich Udowski. "Until that kid (Ryan Rich) flied out in the sixth inning., I don't think a ball was hit out of the infield."

Crown Point scored on a bases-loaded walk to Mummery in the second inning and an RBI double by Tommy Parks to the left center field fence in the third.

In the sixth inning, after starting pitcher Luke Jansma had been replaced, Andy Higgins made it 3-0 with another RBI double and CP scored the final run on a double steal by Higgins and Matthew Schweitzer.

"I didn't really now what we'd get tonight," said Dallas. "Six of the boys had been away at a basketball camp over the weekend. We really only practice twice. I wasn't even sure who we were going to pitch until today."

The choice went well. Dyer had just six base runners and they didn't mount a serious threat after the second inning. After Colvin has hit by a pitch and Rich walked, Kawa's pseudo hit filled the bases with no one out.

But Ernest struck out Ricky Bazant on a 2-2 pitch and Brad Bodine on a 1-2 pitch.
Matt Rompca grounded out to Patrick at short to end the inning.

The victory was crucial for CP because it gave them three days off before the next game. Babe Ruth baseball tournaments become endurance tests in midsummer heat and the less games you play in early rounds, the better.

CP hoped to use pitchers Ernest, Patrick, Gibbon and Mummery only once in the first round.

"I think we only have three boys who were not on that 12-year-old (district and sectional championship) team two years ago," said Udowski. "You never know what's going to happen but we should be pretty good."

RUTH NOTES: Highland is annually one of the best-run tournaments in area baseball. While some Ruth and Little League sites fail to post and report scores and seem offended if you ask for them, Highland appears proud of the fact that they annually host this tournament.

The only drawback at Highland is that the main Ruth field is pointed northwest which puts the setting sun in the eyes of everyone on the first base side during early evening games. It's only a problem from about 4-8 p.m.

Dyer's defense held the score down in Tuesday's opener. CP lost two runners on the bases and right fielder Ryan Rich grabbed a would-be base hit by Schweitzer in the first inning and forced the batter out at first base with a strong throw.

In 2001, Matt Ernest hit five home runs in seven games to boost CP's 12-and-under Little League all-stars to the district and section championships.

The eight boys who played on CP's state finalist team in 2001 were Dan Bouchee, Joe Patrick, Tim Mummery, Dustin Gibbon, Joey Maginot, Matthew Schweitzer, Tommy Parks and Matt Ernest. CP was 10-2 in all-star play in 2001 with both losses coming in the double-elimination state finals to Brownsburg. Bouchee was 5-0 as a pitcher that year and Patrick hit a three-run homer in the 7-5 final game loss in Jasper.

Tommy Parks, who was a third baseman when Crown Point's 10-and-under squad won the District II title in 1999 and a catcher when CP's 12s went to the state finals in 2001, is back at third base for the CP 14s this summer.

In the 12-and-under playoffs, Crown Point, Highland and Munster advanced to the district finals beginning Saturday (July 5) in Griffith.

BABE RUTH (14s) All-Stars
double-elimination in Highland (Kane Field)
7-1-3: CROWN POINT 4, DYER 0
ST. JOHN 00, Highland 00
7-2-3 (Wed) Hammond vs. SCHERERVILLE
Munster vs. Griffith
7-3-3 (Th) DYER vs. St. JOHN or Highland - 5:30 p.m.
Loser's bracket game - 8 p.m.
7-5-3 (Sat) CROWN POINT vs. ST. JOHN or Highland - 1 p.m.
Winner's bracket game - 10 a.m.
Loser's bracket game - 4 p.m.
Loser's bracket game - 7 p.m.
7-6-3 (Sun) Winner's bracket final game - 11 a.m.*
Loser's bracket semifinal (Saturday's 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. winners) 2 p.m. *
Loser's bracket final (Sunday's 11 a.m. loser vs. 2 p.m. winner) 5 p.m.*
7-7-3 (Mon) Championship round game one - 5:30 p.m.*
Championship round game two - TBA*

The Top 4 teams (everyone who is still playing on Sunday) advance to the double-elimination area finals in Schererville beginning Thursday, July 10