Lowell 'good sports' in 3-2 loss to DeMotte in Little League Seniors (Age 15-16)

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith 

(7-15-2004)

Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - Seniors (Age 15 & 16) at Lowell Little League

Senior Little League

LOWELL (7-14-2004) - I don't know if it was the epitome of the Little League, simple good sportsmanship or honor to a fault but the Lowell-DeMotte Senior Little League playoff game Wednesday night ended in a way you rarely ever see.

DeMotte beat Lowell 3-2. There was no question about that and there was no controversial call that would have changed the outcome. By the seventh inning, both sides realized that a rule had been broken. In the Little League Senior (ages 15-16) all-star playoffs, every player on the roster must bat at least once and reserve Dan Beedle, one of 12 DeMotte players, had not come to the plate. Beedle had been entered by mistake in a place that would've seen him bat fourth in the sixth inning, but DeMotte, leading 3-2, went down in order.

When Lowell's John Butor lined out to center fielder Mark Nikolas with two out in the seventh inning to end the game, both teams shook hands and the subject of the non-batting player came up. Lowell, which was already 2-0 in the double-elimination tournament and needed only one more win to advance to the sectional level, had only to invoke the substitution rule, one of the basic precepts of the Little League, to move on to the next series. But Lowell manager Dan Butor decided he did not want to accept the forfeit, and DeMotte's 3-2 win stood as final.

Lowell coach Roger Hughes said, “Dan did not want to advance to the next level on a forfeit. He wanted to do it on the field. The kid who did not bat was the next hitter. That situation had no impact on this game at all. He said, "We just got beat tonight and you've got to respect that.”

DeMotte manager Bill Van Schepen did.

“I thought it was a very classy thing he did,” said the DeMotte field leader. “I appreciate what he did. He could have taken a forfeit but he wanted the game to be decided on the field.”

The game was decided in the first inning. With one out, Josh Cambe and Sean Nannenga singled for DeMotte and, after a wild pitch, John Van Schepen, a 6-4 first-baseman, lined a two-run single to left field. One out later, Brian Winters doubled to right center to make it 3-0.

Lowell really didn't hit DeMotte right-hander Darren DeBold, even when they scored twice in the top of the fourth. Zack Hoffman's deep flyball down the left field line was misplayed into a double by DeMotte's Josh Garreson. Jerry Hughes slow bouncer to third was misplayed by DeMotte's Brian Winters. Nate Korth grounded into a force play but Korth then stole second base at the top end of a double steal to bring home pinch runner Brad Kermeck with Lowell's first run. After a DeMotte throwing error

Korth scored on John Cap's ground ball to short to make it 3-2.

But Lowell never got any closer even though relief pitcher John Cap shut out DeMotte over the final five innings. DeBold, who will be a sophomore at Kankakee Valley this fall, struck out seven and walked none, allowing just three hits over the final three innings. So what was supposed to be a very small (3 team) double-elimination tournament, turned into the expected battle best-of-3 series between Lowell and DeMotte.

“We beat them during the regular season,” said Van Schepen. “We hit the ball hard. But when you play great defense like they did tonight it doesn't matter how hard you hit the ball. I would have preferred to have six teams here. That's more fun. But when you don't have the teams, you don't have the teams.”

The game, played in perfect 65-degree weather, lasted less than two hours and featured errorless ball by Lowell, something that rarely occurs in the Little League.

“They've got their big left-hander ready to go,” said Hughes, of the younger VanSchepen. “But we hit him in the earlier (a 10-5 Lowell win) game and we've got our number one guy (Brad King) ready.

LITTLE NOTES:  Lowell's junior Little League all-stars were in position to clinch a berth in the state finals with a win but they were bombed 10-3 by Hebron in Thursday's earlier game. Hebron (4-1) dominate behind right-hander Andrew Shrum. Shrum threw 131 pitches in a complete-game loss to Lowell on Monday but he came back and threw 121 more on Wednesday.

But the Lowell 14s got only two hits, one a home run by catcher Danny Remboski. The slower Shrum threw the ball, the more problems Lowell had.

“I hope the right team shows up tomorrow night,” said manager Paul LoFrano. “We had a lot of weak swings tonight.”

Hebron got three hits from Billy Sharpe and two more from Eric Elliott. Oddly, the Hebron 14s were in the final round because of a forfeit. They lost to DeMotte Tuesday but were awarded the game when DeMotte did not bat all the players on the roster.

Lowell's 14s were to meet Hebron at 5:30 p.m. Thursday night for the right to go to the state finals. because Lowell is hosting the state tournament, they do not have to meet the District I champion in a playoff series. Both the District I (Lowell or Hebron) and the District II champs advance to the state finals which begin on July 29.

Lowell's Big League team (ages 17-18) have already moved on to the state finals with Lowell varsity players like Jason Corns, Mike Stoner and Mike Smith. The squad will play in Indianapolis next week.

Little League JUNIORS (ages 13-14) at Lowell Little League

WP – Andrew Shrum (1-1) 4K, 3 walks (CG, 121 pitches)

LP – Nate Miller (1-1) 5L 5 walks (6.3 innings)

Billy Sharpe (Hebron) 3 singles, RBI

Eric Elliott (Hebron) Double, single RBI

Sean Casey (Hebron) Single, walk, RBI

Andrew Shrum (Hebron) 2 singles, walk

Danny Remboski (LOWELL) HR, RBI, walk

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Revised: July 16, 2004.