LAPORTE — Scoring twice in its final at-bat, Chesterton won its first IHSAA baseball regional title since 1994.

The Trojans (20-8) Chesterton edged Duneland Athletic Conference foe Lake Central 4-3 in nine innings in the semifinals and Mishawaka 4-1 in the championship game. Both Class 4A LaPorte Regional games were contested Saturday, June 2 at Schreiber Field.

Chesterton advances to a one-game northern semistate on Saturday, June 9 at either Plymouth or Kokomo (to be determined by the IHSAA).

Mishawaka, which was seeking its first regional crown since 1997, finished the 2018 season at 17-11.

In the other semifinal, the Cavemen edged Northern Indiana Conference and backyard rival Penn 2-1.

Lake Central was ranked No. 6 and Penn No. 4 in the final PBR regular-season rankings. The Indians finished at 24-6 and the Kingsmen 27-5. 

Championship

Chesterton 4, Mishawaka 1 

The Trojans scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 4-1 lead.

Senior right-hander Chris Torres (7 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 0 walks, 11 strikeouts) concluded a complete game by striking out the first two batters then getting a fly-out to center field in the Cavemen seventh to seal the victory and the championship.

“I like to work my curveball early and come back with my fastball,” said Torres,  who was the winning pitcher in both regional games.

Mishawaka junior right-hander Grant Jablonski (6 1/3 innings, 3 runs, 3 hits, walks, strikeouts) got the first hitter on a fly-out then walked senior senior Brett Roeske.

Senior Logan Lawson belted a triple over the center fielder’s head to plate Roeske with the tying run.

“He threw the ball great,” said Chesterton coach Jack Campbell of Jablonski. “We were in trouble until we got the walk and then the triple. That was big. (Lawson is) 5-7 and 145 pounds, that’s a pretty good hit ball.”

Sophomore right-hander Ryan Watt (innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts) then relieved Jablonski on the hill for Mishawaka.

A squeeze bunt by Torres drove in Lawson with the go-ahead run.

“(Campbell) told me I got one swing (which Torrres fouled off) then I was to bunt,” said Torres, who drove in the winning run in both games. “It was a really good move.

“It was definitely a team win. There’s nothing I can do without these (teammates).”

Campbell, who is in his 48th season as Trojans head coach, called it “a matter of execution.”

Senior Tommy Benson belted a two-run home run over the left field fence with senior courtesy runner Patrick Sosby (running for Torres) scoring ahead of him. The clout came on an 0-1 pitch.

The shortstop cracked three home runs in Chesterton’s 11-0 semifinal win against Hobart in the Chesterton Sectional.

“I tip my cap to Chesterton for staying in it,” said Mishawaka coach John Huemmer. “We had them flustered for awhile.”

Mishawaka went down 1-2-3 against Torres in both the fifth and sixth innings.

Jablonski set the Trojans down in order in the fifth and sixth frames with three groundouts, two strikeouts and a fly-out.

Mishawaka scored the game’s first run — an unearned one — in the fourth.

Sophomore Donovan Snyder went from home to second base on a dropped third strike and Chesterton error and trotted home on junior Nick Bodle’s fielder’s choice.

In a scoreless Trojans fourth, Chesterton left a runner at third base.

Senior Grant Brunt drew a lead-off walk, moved to second base when Roeske was hit by a pitch and to third base on a wild pitch. The threat ended with a force-out at second base.

Mishawaka went down in order in the third.

A cat-quick Torres stopped a smash back through the box by junior C.J.

Fisher to threw to first for the innng’s first out.

Chesterton left a runner at third base in a scoreless third.

Torres was hit by a pitch to open the inning and courtesy runner Sosby sprinted from first to third base when junior Connor Krantz placed a bunt single between first and second base.

Jablonski picked off a runner at first base and then got a fly-out and strikeout to silence the rally.

The Trojans left a runner at second base in a score-free second.

Brunt led off the frame with a bunt, made it to second on a groundout and got no further. Jablonski fanned two batters in the inning.

After a lead-off infield single by Snyder, Chesterton sophomore left fielder Tyler Nelson made a leaping grab of a ball struck by Jablonski for the first out in the Mishawaka first.

Trojans catcher Roeske threw out Snyder attempting to steal second base for the second out.

Chesterton stranded a runner at second base in a scoreless top of the first.

Krantz produced a lead-off bunt single and stole second. Jablonski retired three straight hitters with to flights and a come-backer.

Mishawaka started the season 3-8 then finished the regular season and LaPorte Sectional by winning 13 of 15. 

Semifinals

Mishawaka 2, Penn 1 

Mishawaka saw Penn put runners on base in every inning while winning in the postseason after losing 12-2 and 6-5 to the Kingsmen during the regular season.

“My hat’s off to (Sam) Shively,” said Penn coach Greg Dikos of the junior Cavemen right-hander. “It seems like we had him on the ropes every inning and he wouldn’t let up. That’s the mark of a competitor.

“He’s got a nice curveball. He keeps it low.”

Right-hander Shively (5 innings, 1 run, 4 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts) was the winning pitcher and right-hander Watt (2 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts) picked up the save for Mishawaka.

“(Shively) pitched well enough to keep Penn off-balance,” said Mishawaka coach Huemmer. “He’s got that bulldog mentality.”

Sophomore left-hander Ryan Lynch (5 innings, 2 runs, 4 hits, 5 walks,,6 strikeouts) absorbed the loss.

“They beat our best,” said Dikos. “What can you say? They deserved to win today.

“Mishawaka played better than we did. They got the key hit when it was needed.”

Junior left-hander Kameron Koch (1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout) finished up on the mound for the Kingsmen.

Penn, the 4A state-runner-up in 2017, saw its 21-game win streak and 2018 season come to an end.

Watt retired the first two Kingsmen batters in the top of the seventh before Lynch lashed a single to left.

Watt then closed out the game with a strikeout.

Mishawaka left two runners on base in a scoreless.

Following a lead-off walk to Bodle, Koch spelled Lynch on the bump for Penn.

After walk to Shively, lead runner Bodle was forced at third base.

Koch retired the next two batters on a called third strike and foul pop-up.

Penn left runners at the runners in the sixth.

After a lead-off walk in the frame, right-hander Watt relieved Shively on the mound for Mishawaka.

Watt promptly picked off a runner, fanned the batter and then yielded a two-out double to right by sophomore Cam Szynski and junior Jeff Pawlik reached on an error before a fly-out ended the threat.

Mishawaka scored two runs in the fifth for 2-1 lead.

Dylan Hall — the lone senior in the Mishwaka lineup — led off the inning by being plunked by a pitch, advanced to second base on a walk and then third base on the front end of what amounted to a double steal (Snyder, who walked, was on the back end).

“He went on his own,” said Huemmer of Hall. “He had a great jump.”

Hall scored the tying run and Snyder moved to third base on a Penn error on the play.

Sophomore Derrick Dawson’s two-out single to left drove in Snyder with the go-ahead run.

“That was astronomically huge,” said Huemmer. “He got his pitch and drove it right between short and third which was a big hit for us.”

An inning-ending double play by Mishawaka ended a Kingsmen rally in a scoreless fifth.

Junior Brock Boynton cued a one-out double down the line in left, Lynch was intentionally walked and then Mishawaka racked it up — junior second baseman Jack Hecklinski to shortstop Jablonski to junior first baseman Sam Rajski.

Penn picked off Mishawaka runners in both the third and fourth innings. In the third the play went pitcher Lynch to first baseman Pawlik to senior shortstop Payton Kerr. In the fourth, it was catcher senior Nate Lovisa to first sacker Pawlik.

In the Kingsmen fourth, Penn got on the scoreboard to take a 1-0 lead.

Pawlik’s groundout to second base knocked in senior courtesy runner Geno Hoath from third base.

Hoath was running for Lovisa, who led off the frame with a single off the first baseman’s mitt. Hoath moved to second base on an error and third base on a groundout to second base by Szynski.

The Kingsmen stranded runners at second and third in a scoreless third.

Senior Vargo drilled a one-out double to left and Boynton walked. As Shivley racked up a strikeout, Vargo and Boynton moved up on a double steal.

Center fielder Boynton ran down deep drive by Snyder for the third out.

Mishawaka left runners at first and second base in a scoreless second.

After two strikeouts, Rajski (right field) and junior A.J. Rosebush (left field) connected for back-to-back singles before Lynch ended the rally by coaxing a fly-out.

Penn stranded a runner at second base in a scoreless second.

Szynski put a two-out opposite-field double just inside the left field line before Shively coerced a come-backer for the third out.

The Kingsmen left a runner at third in a scoreless top of the first.

Vargo led off with a walk, moved to second base when Boynton was hit by a pitch.

Mishawaka turned a 6-4-3 double play for the first two outs — Jablonski to Heclinski to Rajski.

Shively recorded the third out with a strikeout.  

Chesterton 4, Lake Central 3 (9 Inn.)  

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Torres served an oppostie field double into the left field corner and Roeske hustled from first base with the winning run for the Trojans.

“I just wanted to get something out there so I could move him,” No. 9 hitter Torres said of his approach on his final at-bat.

“We keep fighting until the final out,” said Roeske. “Sophomore year, there were too many times we gave up on the last out.”

Junior right-hander Max Born (2/3 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 0 walks, 2

strikeouts) came on in relief for Lake Central to start the Chesterton ninth. He fanned the first hitter before Roeske beat out a slow roller to shortstop. After another strikeout, Torres worked the count full and then produced the game-winner.

The Indians stranded runners on the corners in the ninth.

Torres (1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout) relieved senior left-hander Steve Gilbertsen (1 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts) on the mound for the Trojans to open the inning.

Junior Matt Fundich reached on an infield hit and senior Hunter Zahorsky was hit by a pitch. Fundich stole third base. But Torres racked up a pop-up and strikeout to squelch Lake Central.

Chesterton left runners at the corners a scoreless eighth.

With two outs, junior VanEekern stroked a single into center and moved to third on senior Austin Peterson’s roller through the right side.

That’s when senior right-hander Conner Tomasic (innings, runs, hits, walks, strikeouts) took the place of junior right-hander Zack Dobos (7

2/3 innings, 3 runs, 7 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts) on the bump for Lake Central. Tomasic got the third out on a come-backer to sent the game to the ninth.

The Indians left a runner at second base in a score-free eighth.

Gilbertsen replaced right-hander Peterson (7 innings, 3 runs, 5 hits,

1 walk, 10 strikeouts) on the mound for the Trojans to begin the inning.

Junior Evan Hand drew lead-off walk, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by senior Justin Graves. But that’s as far as Hand got as Petersen got to infield outs to end the threat.

Chesterton tallied a pair of two-out runs the sixth to forge a 3-3 tie.

Krantz opened the frame with a single to left and moved to second on the play via a Lake Central error.

Peterson’s two-out single to right plated Krantz.

Brunt followed with a triple to center to drive in courtesy runner Sosby (running for Peterson) with the tying run.

Peterson struck out the side around one walk in the Lake Central sixth.

After seven straight LC batters were retired, Hand slugged a solo home run with two outs in the fifth to give Lake Central a 3-1 advantage.

The clout over the left field fence came on a 1-0 count.

After its first seven batters failed to reach base against Dobos, the Trojans collected their first hit and scored its first run in the third to cut the gap to 2-1.

With one out, Lawson lashed a first-pitch triple to left center and scored when Torres cracked an 0-1 delivery into left for an RBI single.

The Indians scored one two-out run in the third to take a 2-0 lead.

Graves topped an infield single to the left side of the infield, stole second base, moved to third base on a groundout by junior Jared Bais and scored on a wild pitch.

“We thought we could run, but we didn’t have a lot of runners after those first few innings,” said Lake Central coach Mike Swartzentruber.

“That’s the best way to defense a running game — keep you off first base.”

The Indians closed out a 1-2-3 defensive inning with third baseman Bais catching a line drive off the bat of Chesterton’s Nelson.

Lake Central scored the game’s first run with two outs in the second.

Senior Giovanni Lopez smacked a first-pitch single to right, stole second base, moved to third base on an error and scored on Tomasic’s two-out single that glanced off the shortstop’s glove.

LC stranded a runner at third base in the top of a scoreless first.

Graves rapped a one-out single to center and stole second and third before Peterson got a strikeout for the second out and coaxed a fly to center for the third out.

The Trojans won 3-0 in the team’s first meeting at LC of the season and the Indians came back the next day with a 4-3 triumph at Chesterton to clinch the DAC championship.

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