Highland beats Lowell 11-1 in Little League

District II Semifinals (age 12 and under)

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

(7-13-2005)

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H	E
LOWELL (4-2)	0	0	0	1	0	-	1	5	8
HIGHLAND (5-0)	1	5	1	2	2	-	11	11	0

Little League 12s -Tuesday, 7-12-2005 - District II semifinals, 76 degrees & humid at Highland Little League

WP – Billy Gerstner (2-0) 9K, 0 walks (no earned runs)

LP - Jordan Juarez (2-2) CG, 3K, 1 walk 4 earned runs

LOWELL (4-2)

Cole Midgett (CF) 2 singles

Jordan Juarez (P) 2 singles, stolen base

Andrew Molon (Catcher) 2 singles, RBI

HIGHLAND (5-0)

Nik Mason (3B) Triple, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs

Mike Gameleri (2B) Double, walk, RBI

Mike Berg (LF) Double, RBI

Mike Knesek (SS) 2 singles, RBI

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	R	H	E
DYER (5-0)	0	1	1	4	1	0	7	8	2
MUNSTER (5-1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2

Little League 12s -Tuesday, 7-12-2005 - District II semifinals, 76 degrees & humid at Highland Little League

WP – Cody Dykema (2-0) CG, 10K, 2 walks (82 pitches)

LP - Jimmy Hinkelmann (2-1) CG, 5K, 2 walks,

3 earned runs (99 pitches)

DYER (5-0)

Jordan Polito (SS) HR, single, 2 RBIs

Eddie Moldenhauer (2B) Double, single, 2 RBIs

Cody Dykema (P) Single, HBP, RBI

Kramer Phelan (RF) Single, HBP

MUNSTER (5-1)

Brooks Platt (Catcher) Double, single

HIGHLAND (7-12-2005) The single-elimination Little League district finals is not exactly what everybody involved in the sport wants, but it does create some drama.

That drama was to be played out Wednesday night as defending 12-and-under state champion Highland would face nine time District II champion Dyer in front of an overflow crowd at the new Highland Little League.

Two challengers failed to disrupt the head-on collision Tuesday evening as the Highland 12s rolled over Lowell 11-1 in five innings and Dyer shut down undefeated Munster 7-0. Weather permitting (there was a significant chance off rain for the 7:00 p.m. Wednesday first pitch), the District II title game will feature a matchup of state-caliber small boy squads.

It's going to be a great game tomorrow night,” said Dyer manager Bill McDermott. “Eveybody's going to be here.”

Everybody except Munster (5-1) and Lowell (4-2), two teams that fell victim to the single-elimination District Finals format. All star teams that reach the district finals shouldn't be wiped out by one bad game.

Munster gave up four runs after two out in the fourth inning to blow a 2-0 Dyer lead to 6-0 and ease the path for hard-throwing right-hander Cody Dykema, who struck out 10 and was clocked at 75 miles an hour.

Lowell met an even more frightening fate. After playing well defensively through five games, the Lowell defense failed to support starting and losing pitcher Jordan Juarez (2-2). Highland (5-0) scored in every inning of the five-inning contest including five runs in the second inning with the aid of three Lowell errors.

“We started making errors,” said manager John Henshilwood, “and then the kids were worried about making another error and we just couldn't make the plays.”

Without the eight Lowell errors, the final score is probably 4-1 and that score might have been closer if Lowell base runner Harris Rosenbaum doesn't try to score with the bases loaded and two out after Juarez' infield hit. With the first baseman holding the ball, Rosenbaum broke for home and was thrown out by Highland first baseman Jordan Minch to end the inning.

“He thought he heard the (third base coach) say 'Go' and what the coach said was 'No'. It happens. I'm disappointed we didn't win, but I'm not unhappy with any of them overall. I hope nobody else is.”

Juarez pitched the entire game, which ended with Matt Knesek's run-scoring single with two out in the fifth inning, creating the 10-run margin.

“I kept asking him, 'Do you want to stay out there?', said Henshilwood. “Do you want me to take you out? He said, no, he was fine. He pitched until the end and I thought he did a pretty good job.”

Somebody else who did a pretty good job was Dyer's Dykema, who hit two home runs in the 10-1 win over Crown Point last Saturday (July 9). The fast-balling right-hander gave up a hit and a walk to the first two Munster batters of the game and then retired 18 of the next 21 batters, striking out 10.

Dyer, which outscored its first five state tournament foes 62-1, kept adding on runs including four runs after two out in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, Dyer's Brad Wartman bunted back towards the mound. Munster's Jimmy Hinkelmann charged towards the plate and picked up the ball but his quick throw was too hard for catcher Brooks Platt. The ball bounced off Pratt's glove and Dyer led 3-0. Eddie Moldenhauer then made it 5-0 with a two-run double over the head of Munster center fielder Jake Osterman. Dykema's bunt single then made the score 6-0.

Dyer was the superior team. A couple of potential base hits were turned into outs by Dyer's strong-armed shortstop Jordan Polito. Dykema gave up two base hits, both to Platt.

“We did what we wanted to do,” said McDermott, who admitted his team didn't hit quite as well as they had in earlier game. And we've got Jordan (Polito) ready to pitch tomorrow.”

Polito had not been a major pitching factor in the first five games because the Dyer coaches were holding him back.

“He throws harder that Cody (Dykema) does,” said McDermott. “We've only pitched him once. He faced nine batters and he struck out all nine. We haven't used him since, but he's ready to go. He's really anxious to pitch tomorrow.”

Highland used left-hander Billy Gerstner to defeat Lowell and they have 6-foot-2 right-hander Ken Mahler ready for Dyer. But Munster's Hinklemann, like Mahler, a tall right-hander, could not keep Dyer from making contact, striking out just five.

Highland officials were talking about moving in extra bleachers for the championship game, assuming a large crowd from Dyer and a big walk-up audience from the Highland neighborhoods, especially after the 2004 Highland state Little League title.

“It was loud tonight against Munster,” said McDermott. “But its going to be louder tomorrow night. I think it's going to be great. Everybody's looking forward to it.”

Little League District II Finals

JULY 11: LOWELL 8, DeMotte 1

JULY 11: Munster 5, Griffith 0

JULY 12: Highland 11, LOWELL 1 (5 innings)

JULY 12: DYER 7, Munster 0

JULY 13: DYER (5-0) vs. Highland (5-0)

JULY 18 (Mon) DYER or Highland vs. District I champ (7 p.m.)

JULY 19 (Tues) DYER or Highland vs. District I champ (7 p.m.)

JULY 20 (W) DYER or Highland vs. District I champ (7 p.m.)*

* winner goes to eight-team pool play state finals at Greenwood, In.

LITTLE NOTES: The Highland Little League hosts the District I vs. District II three-game playoff series Monday through Wednesday July 18-20. The two-year-old site, which is about an eighth of a mile southeast of Highland high school, is an improvement over the old Highland Little League site. The infield especially is lush and well kept.

The Dyer-Munster crowd was very vocal until the game got out of reach. There was a little more hostility between the two sides than there was at the Dyer-Crown Point game four nights earlier in Whiting.

Dyer is always the 'bad guy' largely because of nine district titles in 16 years, but McDermott was a little surprised. “I don't think they like us very much,” he said.

Lowell's 16-and-under Senior Little League team showed up in Highland to cheer on the 12-year-olds. The disconnect between 12-year-old Little League and the Junior and Senior levels was evident as many did not know that Lowell is the defending Senior Little League state champion.

Highland, like most north Lake County towns, does not have Junior and Senior Little League teams. Boys go from 12-year-old Little League into Babe Ruth baseball. Highland is hosting the age 14 Babe Ruth state finals this week.

Several Little League state tournament games downstate have been postponed by rain, but the Babe Ruth League age 13 state finals did begin in Noblesville with Crown Point beating LaPorte 7-3 late Tuesday (7-14-2005) night.