Hanover Central opens "home season" with 12-6 win at CP's Teagle Field

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

4-10-2005

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Roosevelt (1-4)	2	0	2	1	0	1	0	6	6	7
HANOVER CENTRAL (2-0)	6	1	0	5	0	0	-	12	5	3

4-8-2005 - 57 degrees – at Teagle Field, Crown Point

WP – Zac Wajvoda (2-0)12K, 3 walks, 4 HBP – 4 earned runs
LP – Desmond Nunnery (0-1) 7K, 7 walks, HBP – 2 earned runs

Gary Roosevelt (1-4)
Dominique Jackson ® HR, 2 HBPs, 2 RBIs
Michael Lunn ® Double, single, 2 RBIs
Lacelle McKinley ® Triple, single, stolen base

HANOVER CENTRAL (2-0)
Mark Myszkowski (HC) 2 singles, RBI, stolen base
Joe Angone (HC) Double, 2 RBIs, 2 walks, stolen base
Todd Sheehy (HC) Double, 2 RBIs, stolen
Mike Wendlinger (HC) Single, walk, 2 stolen bases
Brent DeMateo (HC) HBP, stolen base
Jake Huppenthal (HC) Walk, RBI
Jake Kint (HC) Walk, RBI
Jon Kint (HC) Walk, 2 runs scored

CROWN POINT (4-8-2005) - It wasn't so much that Hanover Central beat Gary Roosevelt 12-6 in the setting sun Friday afternoon. It was where they beat them.

Hanover Central played the school's first varsity game at Crown Point American Legion Post 20's Teagle Field. Just under 100 friends of the programs stopped by to watch the two-hour battle and the largely pro-Hanover Central made a lot of noise during a mistake-filled game in chilly, windy conditions.

“I love it here,” said new coach Greg Ford, who played for Post 20 for several years and managed Lowell American Legion Post 101 against Post 20 in the last half dozen years. “This will be great for us.”

Especially if they keep winning.

Season opening wins over Lowell 5-1 and Gary Roosevelt 12-6 don't mean much except good feelings. But the Wildcats, who were 35-21-1 in the last two seasons, also seem to understand that playing well is more important than winning early in the regular season.

“Out outfield defense is our biggest worry,” said Ford, after his team missed three catchable fly balls in the first inning. “Especially in this park. That was a big concern under any circumstances. But not that we're here it's an even bigger concern.”

That may be the only bad thing about Hanover playing games in the pro-sized ballpark on the north end of Crown Point. Parents will follow their kids to watch them play almost anywhere but perhaps 50 HC students also found their way to Teagle Field on a Friday night when they could have found other things to do. The noisy response to any positive Hanover action may the home-away-from-home feel like home.

“Its going well,” said athletic director Dave Seils, who cut the deal to play at Teagle with Post 20 field manager and Teagle Field's operator, Tony Samano. “I had to make a few calls to people like umpires to make sure everybody showed up here and nobody went to the high school. But it's going fine.”

Hanover Central principal Dave Fetty showed up for the game as did school superintendent Mike Lilovich. Former baseball coach Ron Szayni ran the Teagle Field scoreboard as he does for boys basketball.

All expected HC to follow up the season-opening 5-1 triumph over the Red Devils and, for a moment, it was not certain that they would.

Roosevelt's Lavere Watson began the game with a single to right and he scored when LaCelle McKinley's long drive cleared centerfielder Brent DeMateo for an RBI triple. Next batter Michael Lunn lifted a long drive to left that HC left fielder Michael Wendlinger had little chance to catch in the wind and the sun. After just three batters, it was 2-0 Roosevelt.

But the visiting Panthers also had trouble with the large Teagle outfield and the 15-20 MPH winds. With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the first inning, HC's Jake Huppenthal walked to cut the lead to 2-1. Roosevelt left-hander Desmond Nunnery picked Huppenthal off first base of the second out and the inning should have been over when HC's Todd Sheehy smacked a flyball into left center. But McKinley, Roosevelt's center fielder and Watson, the Panthers' left fielder, pulled up and inadvertently let the ball drop for a two-run double, giving Hanover a 3-2 lead. Another one of Roosevelt's six errors and a Mark Myszkowski single made it 6-2 after one inning.

Roosevelt closed to within 7-5 with the help of a two-run homer by Dominique Jackson but Hanover benefited from five Roosevelt errors to score five times in the fourth inning and the game was effectively over.

HC's senior left-hander Zac Wajvoda, struck out 12 and walked three but he also hot four batters. It was a struggle.

“I don't like the way we approached this game,” said Ford, who coached Post 101 to a sectional championship victory over Crown Point Pots 20 four years ago. “I told the boys that if we play this way Saturday (against Gavit), they'll kick our butt.”

“But we have a lot of young players and we're still learning how to play”

CAT NOTES: Hanover Central junior Brent DiMateo, a transfer from Lake Central, appeared fully recovered from an accident in Thursday's season opener against Lowell. While he was behind the plate, a foul ball hit DeMateo in the throat and he had to be taken to the hospital.

DeMateo, who has skill as a catcher and an outfielder, was back in the starting lineup (batting clean-up) Friday and he played the entire game. One aspect of Hanover Central that will be fun to watch this season is the corners of the infield which Friday were manned by twin brothers Jake and Jon Kint.

Hanover students usually follow their athletic teams but there was a question whether they would follow the team five miles to the north end of Crown Point for home games.

There were 75-100 spectators at the ballpark for the Roosevelt game. Most stayed until the end despite chilly winds.

Former baseball coach Ron Szayni commented, “Most of our sports seem to like each other and support each other. It has not always been like that. When I first started coaching (in the early 90s), the athletic teams didn't get along. It's much different now.”

Post 20 manger and field operator Tony Samano constructed a ticket booth by the front gate specifically for the Hanover Central home games. Post 20 does not charge admission for regular season non-tournament baseball games and the ticket takers in tourney play usually got no more than a card table and an umbrella.

Michael Lunn's third inning home run was controversial in that some thought the hard line drive went under the fence and not over it. The ball got to the 17-foot fence before left fielder Michael Wendlinger got to the warning track.

“Michael said the ball went over the fence,” said HC coach Greg Ford. “Joe Angone (the right fielder) said it went under the fence.”

Samano said there was no way for the ball to go under the left field fence, which is reinforced by wooden planks..

Hanover's May 6 home game against Porter County Conference (PCC) rival Kouts is scheduled to be a 7 p.m. Friday night game but there are fan problems with that date.

Hanover's girls softball team, their coaches and some parents will be in Monticello for the Twin Lakes Invitational on that night. Also, Crown Point will play Class 4A No. 1 Lake Central that same night at 7 p.m. at the new Crown Point high school, which is at the opposite end of Crown Point.

HANOVER CENTRAL (2-1) - BATTING

Mark Myszkowski (.400) 4-10, one RBI, 3 runs scored

Larry Pempek (.300) 3-10, HR, 2 RBIs, 2 runs scored

Brent DeMateo (.333) 3-9, HR, 3 RBIs, 6 runs scored

Jon Kint (.250) 2-8, HR, 2 RBIs, 3 runs scored

Todd Sheehy (.285) 2-7, double, 2 RBIs, 3 runs scored

Joe Angone (.250) 2-8, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs

Mike Wendlinger (.167) 1-6, 2 runs scored

PITCHING

Larry Pempek (1-0) 10 Ks, 4 walks, one CG, 7 innings, one earned run

Zak Wajvoda (1-0) 11Ks, 2 walks, one CG, 7 innings, 5 earned runs

Jake Kint (0-1) 6 Ks, 3 walks, one CG, 7 innings, 3 earned runs