Goshen beats Lowell 14s, 12-2 in Little League state finals

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith 

(7-31-2004)

Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 70 degrees, dry - State Finals Pool Play

Creek Front Little League - Lowell

LOWELL (7-29-2004) - It wasn't totally unexpected. Lowell's junior Little League (age 13-14) all-stars had 11 days off after their District II championship victory and they were facing the champion of the South Bend Elkhart area, a perennially strong region for the Little League. But just because it wasn't a total shock, didn't make the outcome look any better. After taking a scoreless game into the third inning on their home Creek Side Little League, Lowell's 14s got bombed 12-2 in five innings by the Goshen little League all-stars in Thursday night's first state finals game for both teams.

"We looked at them as a big hurdle," said Goshen manager Martin Diaz. "We expected a tough game on their home field but we were ready."

'Ready' meant that left-hander Jacob Drudge was ready to pitch. The hard-throwing left-hander faced 16 batters and struck out nine before Diaz pulled his star pitcher with the game out of reach.

"We never saw a left-hander like that," said Lowell manager Paul LoFrano. "He's faster than anyone we've faced."

None of the first 11 batters put the ball in play against Drudge, who struck out several with a rising fastball. Goshen (9-1) used Lowell errors to score three runs in the fourth inning after four walks by Lowell starter Ted Macis helped Goshen to four runs in the third. The 7-0 lead was too much to overcome.

"Playing the field had been one of our strengths," LoFrano said. "But we gave them a lot of runs. If we'd have just caught that popup, it might have been a close game."

Leading 4-0 in the fourth inning, Goshen loaded the bases with two out. Nick Einselen hit a high pop up into short center field that certainly appeared to be the third out. But some confusion among Lowell fielders allowed the ball to drop, starting a vintage chain-reaction Little League play. With all the runners on the move, two wild throws let every base runner score and allowed the batter to reach third base. Down seven runs instead of four, Lowell's two-run rally in the bottom of the fourth lost its impact.

"It could have been 4-2 going to the fifth but we just didn't come to play," said LoFrano. "We came to play but we didn't make any plays."

Goshen may have been the problem. Truthfully, you couldn't tell how god they were defensively because Drudge and relief pitcher David Shruck struck out 12 of the 19 batters Lowell sent to the plate. But the Elkhart County team appeared to be an offensive power.

"People who have seen this team describe it as special," Diaz said. "This is the first Goshen team to reach the state finals in 10 years. And this is the first time for the junior Little League. This group has been together four years and honestly, I thought they'd make to to the final last year."

Lowell wasn't crushed by the loss, perhaps because they knew they were taking a huge step up in competition from Hebron, the team they beat 4-2 for the District Title on July 17. The theory was, it would take a game or two for the Lowell 14s to get back to playing solid baseball. In a pool play (everyone guaranteed three preliminary games), format, the emphasis is taken off the first game of the tournament. An opening loss in a double-elimination tournament game is a death sentence. But Lowell could have reached the semifinals by beating Decatur Central late Friday and Lebanon Sunday.

"I just wish we had played better," said LoFrano. "The 11 days hurt us big time. We tried to set up some other type of competition during that time but the plans fell through. We knew they'd probably be the toughest team we'd see because the team that comes out of that district is always tough. I thought we were doing pretty well for awhile, but then things broke down and they broke down all the way."

In the fifth inning a walk and two errors proceeded a booming home run to left by leadoff man Jordan Short. Einselen's RBI double three batters later created the 10-run gap that ended the game after five innings.

Macis (3-1), who had tossed three complete games in the district tournament, threw 105 pitches in this one, but walked eight, allowing seven hits in little more than four innings.

"I thought they were squeezing him," said LoFrano of the home plate umpires' calls. "But the people behind the plate said they weren't. The layoff may have affected his control, too. They're just a good team. I think they're the favorite to win it all. Somebody's going to have to beat that left-hander."

FINALS NOTES:  The four state finals games Thursday were played in perfect weather. The final contest, Hobart's 7-6 win over West Terre Haute, did not end until after 11 p.m., the time allotted per contest (two hours) was wishful thinking.

The largest crowd, something over 300, gathered for the Lowell game and prior to the Hobart contest. Home officials made no secret of the fact that they were rooting for Lowell or Hobart to make the semifinals to continue to draw significant fan totals. Admission to Little League games is free but all Little Leagues make their money at the concession stand.

The first day of state finals ran smoothly at Lowell. Parking was not a big problem on the first weekday and everyone seemed in good spirits. Lowell officials dressed up the park with district championship banners and signs donated by RC Cola in exchange for selling RC products at the concession stand. The sale of state finals' T-shirts was slow but the grill was busy all day.

Other than visitors occasionally driving up the one-way down ramp to the field, everything went very well on day one of the five-day tournament.

Decatur Central was dominant in a 12-2 win over Lebanon in the opening game of the tournament Thursday. Hobart's victory ended on a wild

chain-reaction play that was pure Little League. With the game tied 6-6, runners at second and third and two out in the bottom of the ninth inning, a Hobart batter took a strike on a 3-1 pitch. Thinking the count was full before the pitch, the runner at third trotted towards home plate as the ball was being delivered. He was quickly caught in a rundown but he slid back into third when a high throw went into left field.

West Terre Haute's left fielder backed up the play and tried to throw out the other Hobart runner who had strayed too far off second base, figuring his run was irrelevant. The throw to second easily beat the Hobart runner, who was caught in another rundown. But as the rundown began between second and third, the runner sliding back into third picked himself up and raced for the plate, beating the throw from second to end the game. No one was very proud of the play on either side.

Lowell's 16-and-under all-stars watched the game before heading home to rest up for the Senior Little League Finals, which were to begin Friday at 5 p.m. at West Vigo high school in Terre Haute. But rain Friday delayed the first round of play and Lowell's game was pushed back, at least until late in the day.

Dyer Little League moms and dads could relate to Lowell's split allegiance on Friday. Dyer's 10-and-under all-stars were scheduled to play the first game of a three-game series with Portage for the sectional title in East Chicago. Meanwhile, Dyer's 11-year-old all-stars were to open state finals play late Friday at Greenwood against Franklin Township. That game was almost certain to be delayed by rain as well.

Little League State Tournament

Little League JUNIORS (ages 13-14) at Lowell

double-elimination

Juniors State Finals

Ages 13-14 - pool play

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Revised: August 05, 2004.