Lowell baseball season ends with 4-1 loss to Highland at Munser Sectional

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

6-06-2010

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
LOWELL (12-13-1)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	3
HIGHLAND (20-10)	0	0	0	0	0	4	-	4	6	1

Lowell Baseball 2010 Season Statistics
eff. 5-21-2010

Lowell Hitting

Lowell Fielding

Lowell Pitching

Saturday, 5-28-2010 - 82 degrees, Munster 4A Sectional Semifinal at MUNSTER, IN

WP - Jordan Minch (4-5) CG, 13K, 2 walks
LP- Craig Austgen (2-5) 2K, 1 walk (2 innings)

LOWELL (12-13-1)
Matt Hilbrich (LF) 2-for-4
Danny DeBoer (P) 2-for-3, walk
Jordan Juarez (2B) 0-for-3 walk
Craig Austgen (SS-P) 0-for-3, Sac. Fly, RBI
Josh Henshilwood (DH) 1-for-3
Jeff Harbrecht (RF) 0-for-3
Josh DelRio (CF) 1-for-3
Matt Milcarek (1B) 0-for-2, HBP
Evan Ensweiler (3B) 0-for-3

HIGHLAND (20-10)
Mike Bremer (SS) 1-for-3, HBP, RBI
Billy Gerstner (CF) 1-for-4
Rich Fowler (2B) 0-for-3
Nick Mason (DH) 0-for-3
John Livingston (1B) 1-for-2, walk
Matt Knisek (3B) 1-for-2, walk
Matt Spretnjak (LF) 1-for-3, RBI
Tariq Suboh (C) 0-for-1
Jordan Minch (P) 1-for-2, sac bunt, RBI

MUNSTER, IN (5-28-2010) It would have been a nice ending. It would have been a major upset. But it wasn't. So many times Lowell has come north to the sectional and in recent year, they've made it close. But again, Lowell is eliminated at the Munster sectional, this time 4-1 by Highland.

Lowell (12-13-1) led 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth inning when an RBI single by Highland's Matt Spretnjak and a double error on a routine ground ball to shortstop Danny DeBoer, sparked a four run rally by the favored Trojans (20-10).

While shortstop Danny DeBoer didn't have a good game, pitcher Danny DeBoer did. The 5-foot-6 freshman started the game and pitched four shutout innings before giving waY to relief pitcher Craig Austgen.

Austgen, in his final game, could not hold the lead while DeBoer, who switched places with DeBoer beginning the fifth inning, gets to end his freshman season with a 'quality start' four shutout innings against a strong team.

Lowell scored first when Matt Hilbrich singled and DeBoer doubled to right against Highland's hard-throwing left-hander Jordan Minch, who is rated the top sophomore pitcher in the state, by one rating service. One out later, Austgen's deep sacrifice fly to left made it 1-0 for Lowell.

DeBoer threw 61 pitches in four innings, but it was obvious in the fourth that something was wrong.

"Danny's got a whole lot of baseball left," said Stoner. "The last inning he threw, he told me his arm was sore. He hasn't thrown in a week and a half. He has a sore shoulder and he gave me four scoreless innings. I was happy with that."

Craig Austgen pitched a scoreless fifth and retired the first two batters in the sixth before John Livingston singled to right field and Matt Knisek walked on four pitches. Matt Spretjniak then sliced a game-tying RBI single to left field.

Then the game's biggest play. With runners at first and second base, Highland senior Tariq Subah hit a ground ball to DeBoer at shortstop. He fumbled the ball briefly, picked it up and made a low throw that bounced past first baseman Matt Milcarek. Both runners scored to make the score 3-1. Minch's RBI single then made it 4-1 and Lowell seemed hopelessly behind.

"You can't give them three unearned runs," said Stoner, "and anticipate anything good will come of that. We had six hits. That's the most hits we've had off Highland in any game this year. They are one of only two teams that held us to less than eight hits and they did it three times."

The biggest controversy of the game came in the seventh inning when Evan Ensweiler lined what appeared to be an extra base hit down the left field line. The home plate umpire ruled the ball was fair. The base umpire down the third base line ruled the ball was foul. After consulting on the call, the ball was ruled foul. Stoner argued briefly and then let it go.

"I thought it was fair when it went past me," said Stoner, who coaches third base. "But I'm not wearing the blue, I'm wearing the black. I could argue until I'm blue in the face, but all I would end up doing is watching the game from the parking lot."

"I didn't agree with it. But that would have gotten us one run and we'd have been two short. So, in the end, it didn't really matter."

The Devils made this a good year even though it didn't start well. Top pitcher Brandon Grubbe, Lowell's football all-stater, chose not to play his senior season, leaving the Devils woefully short of pitching. It turned out to be positive for the future as DeBoer, forced into action early, pitched in 46 varsity innings.

With Jordan Juarez (4-4, 5.21 ERA), who also pitched in 46 innings returning with catcher Austin Magley and outfielder Matt Hilbrich (.455) and Josh Henshilwood (.309), Lowell has a foundation for the 2011 team.

SECTIONAL NOTES: Coach Tom Stoner said this will be his final year coaching the Devils.

"I think Steve would do a very god job," he said. "I know (Lowell trainer) Bobby Wong would like to be coach. He played at Valparaiso University. I don't think they're going to go outside the building."

Craig Austgen finished his senior season batting (43 of 87) .494 with five homers and 30 RBIs. Junior Matt Hilbrich batted (41 of 90) .455 and junior Jordan Juarez hit (35 of 82) .426. with six triples.

"Jordan Juarez set a record for triples that's been on the books since 1989. Ww had a lot of guys who did a great job this year."

Lowell graduates five seniors, all of whom were in the starting lineup and this is the end for them as Lowell ballplayers. There will be no Lowell American Legion Post 101 team this summer.

2010 LOWELL (8-10-1)
Coach Tom Stoner (1st season) 9-18 in 2009 - NCC games in CAPS
Coach Tom Stoner (1st season) 9-18 in 2009 - NCC games in CAPS
4-2-10 (Tie) 11-11 at Hanover Central (13-11-1)
4-5-10 (L) 3-12 Lake Central (20-6).
4-6-10 (L) 3-14 at Crown Point (27-5)
4-8-10 (L) 4-5 at Portage (18-9)
4-9-10 (W) 9-5 at Merrillville (10-14)
4-13-10 (L) 4-17 (5 innings) ANDREAN (27-6)
4-15-10 (W) 10-5 at KANKAKEE VALLEY (16-13)
4-16-10 (L) 1-6 vs. Bishop Noll (21-5) in Gary

4-19-10 (L) 2-4 at MUNSTER (23-8)
4-21-10 (L) 0-12 HIGHLAND (12-4)
4-23-10 (W) 11-6 HOBART (4-10)
4-26-10 (W) 14-7 at Rensselaer (10-8)
4-28-10 (W) 14-4 (6 innings) Hammond (2-16)
4-29-10 (W) 7-6 at GRIFFITH (5-13)

Boone Grove Invitational
5-1-10 (W) 9-7 East Chicago (5-10)
5-1-10 (W) 6-3 Boone Grove (19-12) title

5-3-10 (L) 4-5 (8 inn.) at ANDREAN (27-6)
5-5-10 (L) 7-9 KANKAKEE VALLEY (16-13)
5-7-10 (L) 7-11 MUNSTER (23-8)
5-11-10 (L) 2-5 at HIGHLAND (20-10)
5-13-10 (W) 3-0 at Hobart (6-22).
5-15-10 (L) 5-8 at LaPorte (25-3)
5-17-10 (rain) Valparaiso (19-9).
5-19-10 (W) 7-4 GRIFFITH (7-21).
5-20-10 (W) 9-3 Morton (16-12)
5-24-10 (W) 9-1 Hebron (10-11-1)

Munster (4A) Sectional
5-27-10 (L) 1-4 Highland (20-10) quarterfinals