Mustangs score 10 in 6th for come from behind win 11-7 over Lowell

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

5-15-2010

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
MUNSTER (13-6)	0	0	0	0	0	10	1	11	13	1
LOWELL (8-10-1)	4	2	0	1	0	0	0	7	9	1

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

Lowell Hitting

Lowell Fielding

Lowell Pitching

Munster left-hander Ryan Wilkinson fell behind 7-0 but pitched a complete game and struck out 15. (All photos by Mark Smith)

Lowell's Jordan Juarez pitched five shutout innings, but things broke down in the sixth.

Munster's Josh Lukoshus heads for a big greeting at home after his two run homer started Munster's 6th inning scoring.

Danny DeBoer (10) tries to stop Munster in the sixth inning.

Adam Larimer slides into third base after one of Munster's 10 sixth-inning base hits. The Mustangs came form seven runs behind to win 11-7. (All photos by Mark Smith)

Monday, 5-10-2010 - 58 degrees at LOWELL, IN

WP - Ryan Wilkinson (5-3) CG, 15 Ks, 0 walks (113 pitches)
LP - Danny DeBoer (2-4) 0K, 1 walk (1 inning)
Starting pitcher - Jordan Juarez (LOWEL) 2K, 0 walks (5 innings)

MUNSTER (13-6, 8-9 )
Adam Larmer (2B) 1-for-5, 2 RBIs
Matt Brozovic (SS) 2-for-5, RBI
Josh Lukoshus (1B) 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBIs
Ryan Wilkinson (P) 2-for-4, RBI
Collin Mudronick (LF) 2-for-4, RBI
Kevin Watterson (DH) 2-for-4, RBI
Jon Cristo (3B) 0-for-4
Mike Erwin (C) 1-for-2, 2 walks
Nate Eagen (CF) 1-for-3, walk

LOWELL (8-10-1)
Mtt Hilbrich (LF) 3-for-4, double, 3 runs scored
Danny DeBoer (2B-P) 1-for-4
Josh Henshilwood (RF) 0-for-3
Craig Austgen (SS) 1-for-3, Sac Fly, double, RBI
Jordan Juarez (P-2B) 1-for-4
Josh Del Rio (CF) 2-for-3, double, 2 RBIs
Jimmy Szafranksi (1B) 1-for-3, RBI
Jeff Harbrecht (DH) 0-for-3
Evan Ensweiler (3B) 0-for-3

LOWELL (5-10-2010) Munster coach Bob Shinkan will remember his 500th career victory. So will a lot of his players. Unfortunately, so will Lowell.

The Red Devils mounted a 7-0 lead after five innings against Munster's No. 1 pitcher Ryan Wilkinson, hitting him so consistently that Shinkan was about to remove him from the game. Until Munster scored 10 runs on 11 hits in the sixth inning.

Ten sixth-inning runs and 15 strikeouts for Wilkinson and Shinkan had his 500th win in 25 seasons, 11-7 over Lowell on a cold and cloudy Monday in South Lake County.

Josh Lukoshus boomed a two run homer to cut the lead to 7-2 and blooped an RBI single down the right field line to tie the game 7-7 in the same inning against two different Lowell pitchers. Then, Wilkinson himself blooped another hit down the right field line to give Munster an 8-7 lead and perhaps the biggest comeback victory of the baseball season.

"I don't know if I feel old or not," said Shinkan after his team celebrated by hitting him in the face with a whipped cream pie. Munster's players seemed to care more about Shinkan's 500th win that they did upping their record to 8-0 in the Northwest Crossroads Conference.

"The biggest thing about this win," said Shinkan. "But, I haven't won 500 games. These guys (pointing to his players) have been part of that. My coaches. Jeff Rosen. Mike Billinger. Matt Backs. They've all been part of it. It's the system that we have."

Lowell has lost three in a row since wining the Boone Grove Invitational, but they shouldn't be discouraged because they are clearly more competitive than they were last season.

The Devils lost 5-4 in extra innings at Andrean May 3 and now 11-7 after building a seven-run lead against Munster. The Devils (8-10-1. 3-6 NCC) are obviously short on pitching, but they hit enough to mount a challenge at next month's Class 4A Munster Sectional.

"They just hit the ball where we weren't in the sixth inning," said Lowell coach Tom Stoner. "One kid was 1-for-2 and he (Lukoshus) stuck the bat out and doinks the ball down the right field line. I just told our manager that I want to be mad, but I don't know who to be mad at."

Lowell scored four times in the first inning after two out. Juarez lined an RBI single to right and Josh Del Rio blooped a two-run double to center. Jimmy Szafranski's line drive hit to right field made it 4-0 for the home team.

Lowell scored two runs on a Munster misplay in the second inning. With Matt Hilbrich at first base and two out, Austgen doubled to right. Hilbrich rounded third base and was caught in a rundown, but Munster catcher Mike Erwin bounced a throw off the helmet of Hilbrich down the left field line, clearing the bases.
When Austgen's sacrifice fly ball made it 7-0 in the fourth, the game should have been over.

"When I went out to the mound and they had runners at first and third with one out," said Shinkan, "I was close (to taking Wilkinson out) I just didn't want him to throw his arm out. I told him what his pitch count was and he said, "I've doubled that before'. He threw 113 pitches, which isn't bad."

But in the sixth inning in cold, bleak Monday conditions, the Mustangs (13-6, 8-0 NCC) mounted a rally. Matt Brozovic singled and Lukoshus hit his seventh home run of the year to left.

Wilkinson slapped an infield hit to deep shortstop before Collin Mudronick and Kevin Waterson singled, influencing Stoner to replace Juarez with DeBoer, a freshman right hander. DeBoer walked in a run but he got two outs before Adam Larmer singled in two runs to make it 7-5.

Brozovic singled to right to make it 7-6 and Lukoshus tied the game with a bloop hit down the right field line. Wilknson's bloop hit to right put Munster ahead 8-7.

There was some luck involved in the tying and winning singles, but Munster hitters were able to put the bat on good pitches while Lowell (15 strike outs) could not.

"I never thought it was over," admitted Stoner. "When you lose, you want to say what cost you the game. But Jordan (Juarez) was going well. They got some hits off him in the sixth, so I took him out. Danny (DeBoer) had been strong all year long and they hit him. I went to Craig (Austgen) and they scored off him."

"I could have gone to Craig first and Danny next but I don't know if it would have made any difference."

Wilkinson retired the final 11 Lowell hitters in order as Munster swept the season series from the Devils.

"Last week we played well. We played well here tonight. We're doing good things. We know we can play with them. There's a really good chance we'll see them at the sectionals."

DEVIL NOTES: Munster coach Bob Shinkan vividly recalls his milestone wins.

"My 400th win was home against Portage," he remembered after the game. "I had to have my tooth pulled that morning and I wasn't in school. No. 300 was at Merrillville. Jon Nourie pitched a no-hitter against Merrillville. No. 200 was against Valparaiso and 100 was against Calumet. I do remember them."

Lowell had a game with Highland rained out Tuesday and Wednesday. The game will have to be rescheduled and it may bump a nonconference game. Thursday's game with Hobart was also expected to be rained out. The state baseball tournament draw is Tuesday morning.

2010 LOWELL (8-10-1)
Coach Tom Stoner (1st season) 9-18 in 2009 - NCC games in CAPS
4-2-10 (Tie) 11-11 @ Hanover Central (7-9-1)
4-5-10 (L) 3-12 Lake Central (16-2).
4-6-10 (L) 3-14 @ Crown Point (19-2)
4-8-10 (L) 4-5 @ Portage (14-5)
4-9-10 (W) 9-5 @ Merrillville (8-10)
4-13-10 (L) 4-17 (5 innings) ANDREAN (13-5)
4-15-10 (W) 10-5 @ KANKAKEE VALLEY (8-9)
4-16-10 (L) 1-6 vs. Bishop Noll (10-4)

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

Boone Grove Invitational
5-1-10 (W) 9-7 East Chicago (5-10)
5-1-10 (W) 6-3 Boone Grove (10-9) title
5-3-10 (L) 4-5 (8 inn.) @ ANDREAN (14-4)
5-5-10 (L) 7-9 KANKAKEE VALLEY (10-10)
5-7-10 (L) 7-11 MUNSTER (13-6)
5-11-10 (rain) @ HIGHLAND (12-4)

5-13-10 (Th) @ Hobart - 4:30 p.m.
5-14-10 (F) @ Hebron - 4:45 p.m.,.
5-15-10 (S) @ LaPorte (14-2) 10 a.m.
5-17-10 (M) Valparaiso - 4:45 p.m.
5-19-10 (W) GRIFFITH - 4:45 p.m.
5-20-10 (Th) Morton - 4:45 p.m.
5-21-10 (F) @ North Newton - 4:45 p.m.
5-24-10 (M) Wheeler (10-2) 4:45 p.m.

Munster (4A) Sectional
5-27-10 (Th) quarterfinals (p.m.)
5-29-10 (S) semifinals (a.m.)
5-31-10 (M) championship (p.m.)