Terre Haute tops Hammond, Rockport to win American Legion Baseball State Title (19 & under)

PLYMOUTH, IN (8-5-2006) Hammond Post 168 was about to advance to the championship round of the American Legion state finals Saturday, but they may not have known who they were facing. As it turned out, they were facing the eventual state champions.

Terre Haute Post 346 scored four runs in the eighth and ninth innings to overcome an 8-4 Hammond lead and went on to beat Hammond 11-10 in 11 innings
in a loser's bracket game of the American Legion state finals at Bill Nixon Field in Plymouth.

Hammond had three leads late in the game, including a 10-9 lead on an era inning homer by Brett Summers, the former Lake Central star.

The loss ended the season for Hammond (20-17-1) and the win rallied Post 346. The Terre Haute squad then defeated Bristol 11-1 and ran over defending state champ Rockport twice 13-2, and 13-0 to win the state championship late Sunday.

Terre Haute South's Josh Phegley, voted state high school player of the year, had four hits against Hammond, which lost despite two home runs from Summers, who was the losing pitcher in the state finals opener on Thursday.

On Sunday, Brady Shoemaker of Northview high school hit a grand slam homer, his 18th of the season in 35 games to lead the double rout of Rockport.

Hammond's Brad Gerlach pitched a complete-game Friday as Post 168 defeated host Plymouth 3-1. The LC graduate struck out nine to keep Hammond alive in the double-elimination tournament after Hammond's opening 13-3 loss to Bristol (36-7).

Hammond swept three games to take the Crown Point Regional title after edging Crown Point Post 20 by a score of 15-14 in 12 innings in the deciding game of the CP Sectional on July 29.

AMERICAN LEGION STATE FINALS
Double-Elimination at Bill Nixon Field - Plymouth
8-3 (Th) Bristol (143) 13, Hammond (168) 3 (7 inn.)
8-3 (Th) Terre Haute (346) 7, Plymouth (27) 2
8-4 (F) Hammond (168) 3, Plymouth (27) 1
8-4 (F) Rockport (254) 7, Terre Haute (346) 6
8-5 (S) Rockport (346) 11, Bristol (143) 6
8-5 (S) Terre Haute (346) 11. Bristol (143) 1
8-5 (S) Terre Haute (346) 11, Hammond (168) 10 (11 inn.)
8-6 (Sun) Terre Haute (346) 13, Rockport (254) 2 (7 inn.)
8-6 (Sun) Terre Haute (346) 13, Rockport (254) 0 (7 inn.)

Terre Haute Post 346 (30-5) advances to the
Great Lakes regional Thursday, Aug. 10 in Evansville to play the Pennsylvania state champ.

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Hammond Post 168 (19-16-1)	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	3	4	5
Bristol 143 (35-6)	0	7	0	0	1	5	-	13	15	2

Thursday, August 3, 2006 - American Legion State finals - Bill Nixon Field - Plymouth, IN

WP - Jake Schofield - 3 runs, 4 hits (6 inn.)
LP - Brett Summers - 8 runs (4 earned) 5 inn.

HAMMOND (168)
Steve Adjinovich (C) 2 doubles, RBI

BRISTOL (143)
Derek Bryant (OF) HR, 2 RBIs
Scott Martin (SS) HR, RBI
Pat Doherty (OF) HR, 2 RBIs

Friday, August 4, 2006 - American Legion State finals - Bill Nixon Field - Plymouth, IN

WP - Brad Gerlach, CG, 9Ks, 3 walks
LP - Mat Ransbotton, CG, 3 runs, 6 hits

HAMMOND (168)
Chris Winterhaler (OF) Single, RBI
AJ Doyle (SS) Double, run scored

PLYMOUTH (27)
Chad Cuttice (OF) Double, run scored
Derek Bryant (OF) HR, 2 RBIs
Scott Martin (SS) HR, RBI
Pat Doherty (OF) HR, 2 RBIs

Saturday, August 5, 2006 - American Legion State finals - Bill Nixon Field - Plymouth, IN

WP - Thomas Woods, 2 ER, (4 inn.)
LP - Matt Eggebrecht, 5 runs (3 inn.)

HAMMOND (168)
Brett Summers (OF) 2 HRs, 4 RBIs
Terre Haute (346)
Josh Phegley (OF) HR, 3 singles, 3 RBIs

Terre Haute tops Hammond, Rockport for American Legion State Title (19 & under)

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Plymouth Post 27 (9-14)	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	6	4
Hammond Post 168 (20-16-1)	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	-	3	6	1

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	R	H	E
Hammond Post 168 (20-17-1)	1	2	0	1	1	3	0	0	0	1	1	10	15	2
Terre Haute (28-5)	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	1	2	11	15	3