Lowell comes from behind for 7-6 win over Kankakee Valley in windy non-conference match-up

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

4-29-2004

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

Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 61 degrees, windy in Lowell

WP - Nick DeVries (3-2) 8K, 4 walks (6 inn.)
LP - Jon Cusack (2-2) 10K, 6 walks (6 inn.)

Zack Prairie (KV) HR, single, RBI
Matt Dobin (KV) HR, double, single, 3 RBIs
Gentry Brown (KV) Single, RBI
Ed Overdorf (LOWELL) Double, run scored
Jason Corns (LOWELL) 2 singles
Mike Smith (LOWELL) 2 singles
Greg Johnson (LOWELL) 2 singles, 3 RBIs
Mike Beier (LOWELL) Single, RBI

LOWELL (4-28-2004) - I really can't tell you very much for sure about this Lowell team. After 14 games, they are 7-7. The longest Red Devil losing streak is two games this season and the longest Red Devil winning streak is two games. Wednesday, the Devils gave up three runs in the first inning but then rallied to lead 6-3. Lowell lost the lead on two solo homers and then three Kankakee Valley singles in a row in the final inning. Then they won on a bases loaded, 3-2 pitch walk to junior Clayton Miller. What's the message here?

"We're coming back," said senior Nathan Oaf. "There's plenty of time."

The Devils hope to take a lift from beating rival Kankakee Valley, which joined Lowell in the Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) this season. KV (9-5) took a 6-0 lead and won 6-4 in DeMotte on April 12 but KV's 3-0 lead in the first inning this time did not last long.

The Devils slapped out six singles against KV starting pitcher Shane Byers to take a 5-3 edge and Greg Johnson's RBI single against relief pitcher Jon Cusack in the second inning made it 6-3.

But KV junior Zach Prairie and freshman Matt Dobin hit solo home runs in the fifth inning to cut the lead to 6-5. In the seventh inning, Lowell pitcher Nick DeVries (3-2), who relieved Ed Overdorf in the second inning, gave up three hits in a row including the game-tying single to Dobin with nobody out. But Lowell centerfielder Mike Beier retired Gentry Brown with a tumbling catch on a line drive, KV's Kyle Jansma grounded out to Oaf at third and DeVries struck out Matt Lane on a 1-2 pitch.

In the bottom of the seventh, Overdorf, who had been 0-for-4, lined a booming double to right center field with two out. Mike Stoner, who had nine hits in his last four games, was intentionally walked. Cusack, who struck out 10, fanned Mike Smith but a passed ball allowed Smith to reach first and fill the bases. That was when Miller, a reserve outfielder, ran the count to 3-0 and walked on a 3-2 pitch that barely missed the plate.

"We're not very tight defensively," said Hess, "but we didn't have any errors today. Our pitching is good. Not great, but good.
Nick gave up those two home runs in the fifth, but he also struck out the side in that inning. It didn't seem to bother him."

KV, which began the season with eight consecutive wins, lost for the fifth time in six games. Had the Kougars held on to the dropped third strike or if they'd have caught a foul pop up in the bottom of the seventh, the game would have gone to extra innings. Kankakee Valley coach Doug Greenlee wasn't very happy.

"Cusack pitched real well, but it's too bad we had to lose like that," he said. "We've gotten some good pitching. We got a good performance out of Gentry Brown Monday (in a 4-3 win over Bishop Noll). But we've had defensive mistakes behind us. Tonight we didn't have that many but we did get beat."

The game was played in 25 mile-an-hour winds which figured to carry several batted balls to home run land. That really didn't happen.
"I thought the game was going to be much more high scoring than it was," said Hess, who winced when he heard that the Devils left 13 men on base. "I expected something like five home runs and we didn't get any."

DEVIL NOTES: Lowell senior Mike Stoner has been on a big run. In a four game span that included Hobart, Munster, Griffith and KV, Stoner collected nine hits. The Lowell catcher walked the final three times at bat against KV.

The .500 record of Lowell is even more unreadable when you note that they lost 7-3 to Munster (12-2) and beat Bishop Noll 7-6. Thursday, Noll blasted Munster 11-1.

KV has a very promising player in outfielder Matt Dobin, a left-handed hitter who resembles the former Lowell star Ryan Basham, now a starter at Michigan State University. Dobin doubled to the right field fence in the first inning, homered beyond right field in the fifth and singled in the tying run, after fighting off two close pitches, in the seventh.

"People are going to hear about him," said KV coach Doug Greenlee. "He's a player. He's been with us all year and he's hitting about .375 against good teams. He's a move-in from Hebron and he played Crown Point Babe Ruth. We've had him batting seventh and eighth because he's a freshman. But we like him a lot."

Junior Zach Prairie hit his fifth home run of the season Wednesday. Prairie hit his fourth against Lowell on April 12.

2004 LOWELL (7-7)
Coach Kent Hess 25-7 in 2003
all games at 4:45 p.m. unless otherwise indicated, LAC games in all CAPS

4-1: 5-3 (5) Wheeler (7-9)
4-2: 0-11 (5) Lake Central (12-4)
4-6: 7-2 at Hanover Central (6-6)
4-8: 11-3 at Rensselaer (8-4)
4-10: 4-5 Boone Grove (5-8)

4-12 (L) 4-6 at KANKAKEE VALLEY (9-5)
4-14 (W) 6-2 HIGHLAND (9-7)
4-15 (L) 7-18 South Newton (4-7)
4-16 (L) 5-15 at ANDREAN (11-3)
4-19 (W) 7-6 at BISHOP NOLL (5-8)
4-20 (postponed) at Calumet (4-8)
4-21 (W) 10-2 HOBART (10-6)
4-23 (L) 3-7 MUNSTER (12-2)
4-26 (L) 11-15 at GRIFFITH (10-6)
4-28 (W) 7-6 KANKAKEE VALLEY (9-5)

4-30-4 (F) at HIGHLAND
5-3-4 (M) ANDREAN
5-4-4 (Tu) at Merrillville
5-5-4 (W) BISHOP NOLL
5-6-4 (Th) at HOBART - 4:30 p.m.
5-10-4 (M) at MUNSTER
5-12-4 (W) GRIFFITH
5-13-4 (Th) at Hebron - 4:30 p.m.

Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) Tournament
5-17-4 (M) 1st round games
5-18-4 (Tu) Quarterfinal games
5-19-4 (W) consolation games
5-20-4 (Th) Semifinal games
5-22-4 (S) LAC Championship games
5-25-4 (Tu) Crown Point - 4:30 p.m.
4-27-4 (Th) at North Newton - 4:30 p.m.
4-28-4 (F) at LaPorte

Munster 4A Sectional
5-31-4 (M) quarterfinal
6-2-4 (W) semifinals
6-4-4 (F) Championship

4A Regional
6-8-4 (Tu) one game

4A Lafayette Semi-State
6-12-4 (S) semifinals
6-12-4 (S) championship

4A State Championship (at Victory Field - Indianapolis)
6-19-4 (S) 7 p.m.