Crown Point Post 20 battles bravely before dropping 6-3 to Lafayette in 3rd round of Lafayette Legion Baseball Regional

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Lafayette (27-9)	1	1	0	0	3	1	0	0	0	6	8	0
CROWN POINT (20-6)	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	8	1

American Legion (19-under) Lafayette Regional - 3rd round , Aug. 2, 2003
73 degrees at Loeb Stadium, Lafayette, Ind.
WP - Donald Barkley (3-0) 4Ks, 2 walks, (7 inn.)
LP - Jake Pierce (4-1) 3K, 4 walks (5.7 inn.)

CROWN POINT (5 singles, 3 doubles)
Steve Georgian (Boone) Double, 2 singles, stolen base
Kevin Vandas (CP) Single, RBI
Jake Pierce (CP) Double, HBP
John Koutelas (Boone) Single, walk
Brian Sparks (CP) Double, run scored

Lafayette (4 singles, double, 3 triples)
Cory Peabody (Jefferson) 2 singles
Brian Cauley (McCutheon) Triple, 2 RBIs
Jason Taylor (Harrison) Triple, double, RBI
Tristan McIntyre (McCutcheon) 2 singles, RBI
Kyle Thompson (Lafayette Cathoilic) Single, walk, RBI
Jared Wynn (Harrison) 2 walks

LAFAYETTE, IN (8-2-2003) - It was a close game. A competitive game. Here was Crown Point Post 20 on the home field of one of the state's powerhouse teams, battling them evenly.
But there was an empty feeling. They were, in some respects, trying to close the door after the horse had gone.

Even if Crown Point had defeated Lafayette in the loser's bracket final game of the Lafayette American Legion Regional Saturday night in Loeb Stadium, they were realistically done. Crown Point had five pitchers among the 12 players available. When manger Tony Samano went to left-hander Brain Sparks to shut down Lafayette's attack after Post 11 had mounted a 6-3 lead in the sixth inning of the Saturday night game, that left just one pitcher, left-hander Brandon Barr, ready and able for extended duty.

CP would have had to win two nine-inning games Sunday to win the regional and with only one healthy pitcher remaining, that was not going to happen.

"We did pretty well for a team that didn't have any pitching left," said Samano afterwards.

Crown Point (20-6) played better in this tournament than they had most of the season. Post 20 was tied with Plymouth Post 27 (26-3) and Purdue-recruit Andy Groves in the eighth inning before Plymouth broke through against complete-game pitcher Lance Losinski for two game-winning runs.

Crown Point high school senior Mike Schultz got three hits from Chad Pierce and a home run from catcher Nick Bodinet to back his complete-game pitching in a 13-2 win over Highland early Saturday.

Had Pierce, a curve-balling left-hander, been able to throw a complete game victory over a Lafayette club that averaged nine runs a game during the regular season, manager Samano would have had lefties Sparks and Barr available to go for the upset win against Plymouth in the championship round Sunday. But five complete game, nine inning pitching efforts in an elite-level tournament is a lot to ask.

"I can see they were a little short of pitching," said Lafayette manager Scott Stair. "But Pierce is a battler. He's tough out there. Offensively they hit the ball and defensively they don't beat themselves. I tip my cap to them."

Crown Point's bats put them ahead of Lafayette in the third inning. With the score tied 2-2, CP's Jake Pierce doubled to left against Lafayette starting pitcher Derek Besonen of West Lafayette. Stair pulled Besonen for Barkley, a 19-year-old college freshman. The right-hander got the next two outs but Kevin Vandas' single to left made it 3-2 for Crown Point.

Pierce, used solely as a center fielder on the Crown Point high school varsity during his junior season, had pitched a complete-game 11-1 victory over Remington in the Crown Point sectional championship round. But when Lafayette's hitters batted for the third time in the fifth inning, they got a better line on the 5-8 lefty. They also got a major break.

With two out and a runner at second base, Lafayette cleanup hitter Cory Peabody hit a hard line drive to left field that Steve Georgian, who was not an outfielder in high school, got a glove on but dropped. The tying run scored and Post 11 took advantage.

McCutcheon's Tristan Mcintyre hit a ground ball that CP second baseman Doug Ricard grabbed with a diving stop behind second base. But Ricard could make no throw. Then Bryan McCauley got the game's biggest hit, a deep drive that carried over the head of Sparks in center field, scoring two runs for a 5-3 lead.

"That was the game right there," said Samano. "We just couldn't get a clutch hit after that."
"We've got a very good hitting team." said Stair. "Sometimes they get a little selfish and I think you saw that in the first few innings when we were trying to hit everything out. When they settle down and do their jobs, they can hit."

Lafayette was 31-4 last season so they are very much used to winning. Stair was asked if he had to say anything to his players before this do-or-die elimination game.

"I left them alone and let them play," he said. "But that lasted about an inning. Then I reminded them that if we didn't come back and win this game that we won't be here tomorrow (Sunday) And it's been nice coaching you."

"They responded pretty well. They were upset at losing the game earlier (8-1 to Plymouth) that they thought they should have won with all the chances that we had."

Crown Point dominated a Highland team that led Lafayette 5-1 before losing 6-5 in Friday's first round. Schultz, the 6-2 right-hander who pitched a complete game victory over Hobart in the Crown Point Sectional, again controlled the opposition, allowing just eight hits in seven innings. Against Plymouth, CP got a two-run homer from Chad Pierce and fine pitching from Losinski in the two run defeat. CP had lost earlier 15-7 at Plymouth.

LEGION NOTES: Crown Point, which had 14 games postponed, ended up with six losses, to Plymouth (twice), Lafayette, Terre Haute Post 346, Bristol Post 143 and Remington Post 280. If Schultz, Pierce and Barr all return next year, CP should have pitching depth as Crown Point 'B" team members Adam Quinn, Matt Jansen and Jimmy Wilson will move up to the big team. Injured right-hander Jason Plys could also return.

Boone Grove's Steve Georgian had three hits against Lafayette and finished with 16 base hits in eight playoffs games. He is also available to return next season as are Matt Cowan, Dave Dickerson and Matt Long, who split time between the 'A' (19 and under) and 'B' (17-and under) teams this season.

Post 20 has tentatively agreed to join Plymouth in a tournament in Ohio next year and baseball coordinator Dave Dickerson Sr. says that Post 20 would like to host the regional tournament. The state tournament for ages 19-and-under will stay in southern Indiana in 2004. Madison has hosted it the past two seasons but this year's finals are in the south only because no northern team bid on the rights. In 2004, southern teams have the first option.

CROWN POINT American Legion SECTIONAL
7-22-3: Remington 12, LOWELL 2
7-23-3 (W) CROWN POINT 12, Hobart 5
7-24-3 (Th) Remington 10, Hobart 0 (8 innings)
7-25-3 (F) LOWELL over Hobart forfeit (lack of players)
7-26-3 (S) CROWN POINT 12, LOWELL 1 (7 inn.)
7-27-3 (Sun) CP-Remington (Rain)
7-28-3 (Mon) Wet grounds (Rain)
7-29-3 (Tues) CROWN POINT 11, Remington 1 (7 inn.)
7-29-3 (Tues) CROWN POINT 9, Remington 8

Lafayette American Legion Regional
double-elimination at Loeb Stadium in Lafayette
8-1 (F) Lafayette Post (11) 6, Highland (180) 5
Plymouth (27) 4, CROWN POINT (20) 2
8-2 (F) Plymouth (27) 8, Lafayette (11) 1
CROWN POINT (20) 13, Highland (180) 2
Lafayette (11) 6, CROWN POINT (20) 3
8-3 (Sun) Lafayette (11) vs. Plymouth (27) Rain

2003 State Finals in Madison, Ind.
at Madison Shawe high school in Madison
8-7 (Th) first round game
8-8 (F) 2 first round games
8-9 (Sat.) 3 second round games
8-10 (Sun) championship round

AMERICAN LEGION State Champions
2002: Evansville Post 265
2001: Evansville Post 265
2000: Madison Post 9
1999: Terre Haute Post 346
1998: Anderson Post 127
1997: Terre Haute Post 346
1996: South Bend Post 357
1995: Evansville Post 265
1994: Terre Haute Post 346
1993: Lafayette Post 11
1992: Evansville Newburgh Post 44
1991: Highland Post 180
1990: Muncie Post 11