Hammond Noll holds off Hanover Central upset bid with 2 runs in 7th for 4-3 sectional quarterfinal win

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

5-31-2005

Monday, 5-30-2005 - Mostly Sunny and 70 degrees in Lake Station

WP – Matt Chibicki (3-5) 9Ks, 2 walks, (6 inn.)
(Save) Jim Bowers No. 3, 2K, 1 walks
LP – Larry Pempek (5-3) 5K, 4 walks (6 inn.)

BISHOP NOLL (12-18)
Josh Pelletier (Catcher) Double, single Sac bunt
Danny Faulkner (1B) 2 singles, run scored
Mike Golden (2B) Single, walk, RBI
Ryan Bobos (DH) Double, 2 walks

HANOVER CENTRAL (15-10)
Larry Pempek (P-1B) Double, RBI
Zach Wajvoda (1B-P) Double, single, RBI
Jake Kint (LF) Double, 2 RBIs

LAKE STATION, IN (5-30-2005) - Hanover Central had looked forward to facing Bishop Noll at the sectional all season after Noll beat HC 10-0 on the way to the state Class 2A title last year.

High school ballplayers don't forget the team that eliminated them from the state tournament. You work 365 days to get another chance and when it comes, you hope you got better.

That's why Bishop Noll's come-from-behind 4-3 win over Hanover in the Lake Station 2A Sectional quarterfinals Monday was a strong showing.

The season ends for Hanover again (they have never won a sectional tournament) but you feel that HC is gaining ground. In 2004, HC was blown out. In 2005, HC could have won.

The Wildcats appeared to be on their way to a landmark victory when Larry Pempek tied the game 2-2 with an RBI-double in the fifth inning before hits by Zach Wajvoda and Jake Kint plus an RBI grounder by Jon Kint gave Hanover a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning.

But with Pempek over the 100-pitch mark Noll rallied with a first pitch single by Danny Faulkner and a second-pitch double by Ryan Bobos leading off the seventh inning.

Noll sophomore Jake Pelletier, one of three brothers starting for Noll, slapped the first pitch into center field for a two-run single and the eventual winning runs.

“I might have brought in Zach one batter earlier,” said HC coach Ron Szanyi of senior left-hander Zach Wajvoda. “But Larry had that guy all day (Pelletier was 0-for-3 before the final inning) and I was worried about a left-handed curveball pitcher with a runner at third. We were going to bring in Zach for the next batter anyway after talking to Larry. I thought about walking him but the next guy up had hit (2-for-3) pretty well.”

“I didn't think he could catch up to that inside fastball,” said Pempek. “

The situation was odd for the Pelletier brothers, sophomore twins Jake and Josh and senior Eric were situated fifth, sixth and seventh in the batting order.

In order for Eric's senior season to continue, one of them needed a hit in that seventh inning.

“I was going to pinch hit for Jake,” admitted Noll coach Dave Griffin, who seemed more relieved than overjoyed with the victory. “But I asked him, 'Can you give me one good at-bat?' One time.”

“He said, 'Coach. Don't worry. I've got it.'”

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Griffin pulled starting pitcher Matt Chibicki, who gave up just five hits and two walks in six innings, for right-hander Jimmy Bowers, who walked one and struck out two in a hitless seventh inning.

“They had seen Chibicki enough,” said Griffith. “I wanted a fresh arm in there. Jimmy had pretty good stuff. He was my No. 4 (starter) at the start of the year. But we'd been using him as a closer in the last week. He always can give me one good, strong inning. So, that's how we're going to use him the rest of the way.”

Part of the reason there is a 'rest of the way' for Noll was Hanover's defense in the second inning.

Josh Pelletier led off with a ground ball to second base that usually slick fielding Mark Myszkowski fumbled for an error. After a sacrifice bunt, Mike Golden singled to right field and HC outfielder Jake Huppenthal overran the hit, allowing the batter to go to second base. Golden went to third base on a passed ball and scored on a slow rolling infield hit by Salvador Bolanos.

“We killed ourselves in that second inning,” said Szanyi. “We can't give away runs like that.”

In front of 150-200 fans, many of them from Cedar Lake, Hanover cut the lead to 2-1 when Wajvoda sliced a leadoff second inning double into left center and Jake Kint pulled a one-out RBI-single to right field.

Noll loaded the bases in the third inning but Pempek struck out Golden on a 2-2 pitch. Noll had at least one base runner in every inning. Hanover had, at least, one runner on base in every inning but the third. The game was entertaining, for what that's worth, which, in the state tournament, is just about nothing.

“We did not execute at the plate the way we wanted to,” Szanyi said. “The jitters got to the guys again against a good pitcher.”

Noll (11-18), the defending state champ, stayed alive in the state tournament and they figure to get stronger. And Hanover will be watching to see if they were one run short of a state finalist in the same way they were 10 runs short in 2004.

“That's the way I have to look at it,” said Pempek.

HANOVER NOTES:  Hanover Central coach Ron Szanyi, who took over at mid-season from Greg Ford after retiring at the end of the 2004 season, isn't sure if he wants to return in 2006.

Sometimes I want to come back,” he said after Hanover's season ended Monday, “and sometimes I don't. They've got some things to work on and I need to see them work on them. Play all summer. Get in the weight room. Lose a little weight.”

Pempek and Wajvoda played their final game for Hanover Central but they are not through playing baseball for the town of Cedar Lake.

The senior pitcher/infielders will play for HC assistant coach Al Myszkowski and the new Cedar Lake American Legion Post 261 summer team.

The squad, which, like the HC high school team, will not have a home field this season, will start play Tuesday at Valparaiso Post 94. Cedar Lake will play at Whiting Post 80 at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8 at Whiting Park on the shores of Lake Michigan in Whiting. Post 261 will play neighbor and rival Crown Point Post 20 at Crown Point's Teagle Field on Saturday, June 11 at 2 p.m..

Many Hanover high school players competed for Lowell Post 101 in 2004. Post 101 will continue to have a team but it will now include almost all Lowell high players and will play at Lowell high school. Cedar Lake Post 231 hopes to play at Hanover's new high school field, if construction has been completed, in the summer of 2006.

American Legion teams, which are for boys age 19 and under, play 30-40 games in June and July before they enter double-elimination sectional and regional tournaments leading to a state tournament in August. There are approximately 45-50 American Legion teams state wide and many are virtual all-star teams combining several high schools. Crown Point, which has 2,100-kid CPHS to choose from, has a 19-and-under team and a 17-and-under or 'B' team. Cedar Lake will face both CP squads during the regular season.

Cedar Lake Post 261 will draw from Hanover, North Newton and Lake Central, although there are no LC players on the 2005 roster as of yet.

“We don't have our foot in the door at Lake Central yet,” smiled Myszkowski, who noted that HC junior catcher Brent DeMateo is a transfer from LC. “He's working on it but the problem is that Lake Central (as all Duneland teams do) has a summer team and they have to play for it.”

All four Hanover pitchers, Pempek, Wajvoda, Jake Kint and Joe Angone, are scheduled to pitch for Cedar Lake Post 261.

Crown Point and Lowell American Legion players who are also football players, must juggle baseball dates against preseason football workouts and practices. CPHS stars Matt Jansen and Matt Ernest must limit their summer baseball because they will be asked to play for the CPHS summer baseball team and take part in summer workouts.

Legion Post 261 effectively becomes Hanover Central's summer baseball team and Hanover does not have football so a Cedar Lake American Legion baseball team is a natural.

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Revised: May 31, 2005.