By Steve Krah
PBR Indiana Correspondent

Follow @PBRIndiana



LAPORTE — Mercy! 

The 10-run rule came into play Saturday, June 4 as Penn beat Chesterton 11-1 in six innings in the championship game of the Class 4A LaPorte Regional baseball tournament. 

The Kingsmen (29-4) put on an offensive show and got another strong mound outing from senior right-hander Skylar Szynski (win, 10-1; 6 innings, 1 run, 1 hit, 4 strikeouts, 3 walks) to top the Trojans (17-9) and left Schreiber Field with the program’s second straight regional crown and ninth overall.  

Chesterton was seeking its first regional title since 1994. 

Penn, the 4A state champions in 2015, advanced to the single-game northern semistate at either Plymouth or Kokomo (two games in separate classes at each site) on Saturday, June 11. The IHSAA will determine which teams play at which sites at the conclusion of all northern regionals. 

The Kingsmen faced three pitchers and busted loose for eight runs in the bottom of the first inning against Chesterton. Penn sent 13 batters to the plate and rapped five hits. 

“The have a young pitching staff and you could tell they had the jitterbugs,” Penn coach Greg Dikos said. “They’ll be back. (Fellow Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer) Jack (Campbell) will get them back.” 

As for his own hurler, Dikos is ready to send him on what he hopes will be another long run. 

“Skylar is a strong kid,” Dikos said. “We kind of babied him during the season. It’s tournament time and we’re going to extend him a little bit.”

Trojans sophomore right-hander Grant Brunt (0 innings, 4 runs, 0 hits, 0 strikeouts, 3 walks) was lifted after facing four hitters.  

“His two prior outings were just great,” Campbell said. “I’d don’t know if it was sitting around thinking about it or what it was because he generally has good control. He got behind on the hitters. It’s just one of those things. You’ve just got to own it and move on.” 

Junior Trevor Waite drew a lead-off walk and went to second base on a wild pitch. 

Junior Matt Kominkiewicz followed with a walk and junior Niko Kavadas reached base on an error to load the bases. 

With junior Nolan Metcalf at the plate, a wild pitch allowed Waite to score the first run. 

Metcalf walked (and was replaced by senior courtesy runner R.J. Green) and Campbell went to senior right-hander Jack Mullen (1/3 innings, 4 runs, 4 hits, 0 strikeouts, 1 walk). 

With sophomore left-hander Brayden Cortwright (4 innings, 2 runs, 5 hits, 3 strikeouts, 0 walks) on in relief of Mullen, senior Luke Schneider singled to right field to plate Kominkiewicz. 

Junior Ryan Lau socked a two-run single to right to score Kavadas and Green. 

After one out, senior Ryan Herman cracked a two-run single to left, knocking in Lau and senior Brandon Stesiak (on by fielder’s choice)  

With two outs, Kavadas rapped a two-run single up the middle to drive in senior Connor Neal (who walked) and Waite (who single to left). 

“They looked like they were scared and we capitalized,” Stesiak said.  

Penn added two more runs in the second inning to take a 10-0 lead. 

Schneider singled to center. 

After one out, Stesiak singled to right. 

Herman’s sacrifice fly to deep center brought Schneider home as Stesiak advanced to third. 

Stesiak tallied the 10th run on a wild pitch. 

Penn were held off the scoreboard in the third inning. 

Waite opened with a first-pitch single to right and was caught stealing (senior catcher Patrick Arndt to senior second baseman Blake Soffa).  

Cortwright then racked up strikeout and prompted an inning-ending groundout. 

Chesterton, the Merrillville Sectional champions, broke up a no-hitter and scored one run in the top of the fourth inning. 

After sitting down the first nine Trojans, Szynski walked junior Owen Hallas. The Chesterton lead-off man stole second and scored on a single to center by junior Ethan Conway. 

With junior Anthony Kurek hitting, Penn’s defense turned a double play — pitcher Szynski to shortstop Schneider to first baseman Lau — for the first two outs and got the third on a groundout. 

Penn fourth inning, Lau pulled a two-out double to the fence in left but was left there as Cortwright brought on a groundout. 

Junior Erik Ralph drew a two-out walk in the Chesterton fifth inning, Szynski got out of the inning with a fielder’s choice force at second base. 

The Kingsmen, Penn Sectional champions, left the bases loaded in a scoreless fifth inning. 

After Herman was hit by a pitch Neal executed a sacrifice bunt and Waite was hit by a pitch, junior right-hander Drew Vesling (1/3 inning, 1 runs, 0 hits, 1 strikeout, 2 walks) relieved Cartwright. 

Kominkiewicz reached bases on fielder’s choice and pushed Herman to third and Kavadas walked to load the bases. 

Vesling collected a strikeout to close out the inning. 

Penn, which beat Chesterton 3-1 in the 2015 regional final, won the 2016 game by the mercy rule two batters into the sixth inning. 

Schneider drew a lead-off walk, stole second and scored when the Trojans misplayed a ball of the bat of Lau. 

Semifinals 

Chesterton 1, Munster 0

The Trojans put runners on base in every inning except the fourth and left 11 in its first 11 at-bats. A Chesterton runner was stranded at third at the fifth, seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th frames.  

In the top of the 12th, the Trojans scored the game’s lone run to take the tight game between Region teams coached by a pair of IHSBCA Hall of Famers. 

Kurek smacked a one-out double to center. The next hitter — sophomore Austin Peterson —  sent 0-1 pitch from junior Mike Madura into left field for an opposite field RBI single, plating Kurek. 

Munster got things cooking again in the bottom of the 12th. 

After one out, senior Trevor Brooks was a hit by a pitch (replaced by senior pinch-runner Aaron Welch) and Madura rapped a single to center and senior Dominick Delia knocked a single to left to load the bases. 

The second out came when sophomore Xavier Unzueta tapped to shortstop Mullen. A wide throw required catcher Arndt to tag out Welch since the receiver was too far away from the plate for the force. 

The game’s last out was a groundout 2 hours, 19 minutes before the game’s start as the Trojans advanced. 

“We did not lay down,” Munster coach Bob Shinkan said. “I told my kids I was proud of them. We fought to the very end. Their pitchers made some pitches. We put the ball in play and they made the plays. It’s a simple game.” 

Right-hander Chris Torres (win; 3 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 4 strikeouts, 0 walks) was the winning pitcher in relief of right-hander Peterson (9 innings, 0 runs, 6 hits, 9 strikeouts, 1 walk). 

“(Peterson) had such great command,” Campbell said. “He was 5-0 in the (Duneland Athletic Conference) with a 0.00 earned run average. 

“The pitching was really outstanding for Munster. (Senior right-hander Connor Manous) has great velocity. We just couldn’t stay up with his fastball.” 

After spelling Manous (8 innings, 0 runs, 7 hits, 9 strikeouts, 1 walk), right-hander Madura (4 innings, 1 run, 4 hits, 1 strikeout, 0 walks) absorbed the loss. 

In the Chesterton fifth, Ralph produced a lead-off infield single and wound up at third thanks to a sacrifice by junior Chris Boren and groundout by Mullen.  

A strikeout by Manous ended the threat. 

With drizzle just beginning to fall, Boren reached by error with one out in the Trojans seventh, stole second base and went to third on Mullen’s groundout. Manous racked up another strikeout to end the frame. 

The Trojans left runners at second and third in the top of the eighth inning.

Peterson cracked a two-out single. Senior courtesy runner Isaac Shook moved to third on Arndt’s single. 

But Manous again fanned his way out of the Chesterton scoring chance.

Madura relieved Manous to face the Trojans in the ninth inning.

Ralph lashed a lead-off infield single.

With one out, Mullen sacrificed Ralph to second. Ralph took third on a wild pitch.

After Hallas drew a two-out walk, Madura coaxed a come-backer to squelch things for Chesterton.

Kurek opened the Trojans 10th inning by reaching base on an error then moved to second and third on consecutive groundouts only to be stranded on an inning-ending foul pop-up.

Prior to the 12th, Munster’s best opportunities to score came in the ninth inning. The Mustangs, the Munster Sectional champions, did not get a runner past in the first eight stanzas.In the Munster ninth, junior Andrew Jumonville belted a first-pitch lead-off triple to left-center and Chesterton played its infielders in.

With one out, Brooks tapped a ball to shortstop Mullen who threw to catcher Arndt to cut down Jumonville at the plate.

A scoop by first baseman Kurek on a chopper to third baseman Conway put the Munster away and sent the game to the 10th.

In the Munster fourth, Chesterton shortstop Mullen made two slick plays and center fielder Hallas one to help set down the Mustangs.

Mullen ranged behind the bag to track down balls hit by seniors Zach Kall and Alex Mis and fired tor first baseman Kurek for the first two outs.

Hallas ranged into deep left-center field to take a hit away from Jumonville for the final out in the frame.

Penn 4, Mishawaka 3 

The Kingsmen outlasted the Cavemen in a clash of neighborhood rivals from the Northern Indiana  Conference. 

Penn, which won the regular-season meeting 5-3, scored what proved to be the decisive run in the fourth inning and held off Mishawaka, using ace Szynkski (save) to get the last three outs in a 1-2-3 seventh inning (groundout, groundout, strikeout).

“They battled us,” Dikos said of the Cavemen. “They play us hard every time. It’s a typical backyard brawl. I have a lot of respect for (Mishawaka head coach and former Penn assistant John Huemmer) and the things he does over there and I knew it was going to be a battle.”

The first two Kingsmen pitchers were right-hander xx Stesiak (win, 5-0; 5 innings, 3 runs, 4 hits, 2 strikeouts, 2 walks) and right-hander Kavadas (1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 strikeouts, 1 walk).

Mishawka junior left-hander Lucas Campbell (6 innings, 4 runs, 7 hits, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk) took the loss.

Penn scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the second inning.

Metcalf stroked a first-pitch double to left field to open the frame and was replaced on the bases by courtesy runner Green.

A sacrifice bunt by Schneider advanced Green to third and Green scored on Lau’s sacrifice fly.

Mishawaka, the South Bend Clay Sectional champions, took a 3-1 lead with three runs in the top of the third inning.

Campbell started the rally with an infield single, moved to third on junior Joe Howe’s double to left. 

Campbell scored on junior Luke Shivley’s groundout. 

Junior Ryan Wroblewski then reached base on a Kingsman error as Howe tallied the second run.

After Wroblewski advanced to third on a wild pitch, he scored when senior Sam Fry lofted a sacrifice fly to center.

“We played hard today,” Huemmer said. “We really did.”

Penn tied the score at 3-all with two runs in the bottom of the third inning.

Waite belted a lead-off double to right.

Kominkiewicz followed with a bunt single toward third.

Kavadas then connected for an RBI single to center, plating Waite.

After a groundout moved the runners up, Schneider’s groundout sent Kominkiewicz home with the tying run.

There was controversy before the run. A groundball to third baseman Fry appeared to be a 5-3 double play, but it was ruled that he did not tag the bag for the force.

“(Fry) said he touched, the umpire said he didn’t (and Penn scored the tying run after that),” Huemmer said. “(The umpire) was closer than we were so I have to take his word for it.”

The Kingsmen assumed a 4-3 lead with one run in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Stesiak drilled a lead-off double to left-center. Courtesy runner Neal moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch.

Mishawaka left the bases loaded in a scoreless top of the fifth inning.

Howe collected a lead-off single left, stole second and was picked off by a throw from Penn catcher Metcalf. 

Shively and Wroblewski followed with back-to-back singles and senior Hunter Martsolf fielder’s choice loaded the bases.

But Stesiak got out of the jam when he pounced on a ball hit back in his direction by freshman Nick Bodle and fired to first for the third out.

Kavadas relieved Stesiak as Mishawaka came to bat in the sixth.

Junior Bryson Stutesman drew a lead-off walk and was replaced on the bases by freshman pinch-runner C.J. Fisher. Senior Ashten Williams then singled to left.

With one out, a wild pitch allowed both runners to move up second and third.

A pick-off throw by Kavadas to third base man Herman retired Fisher and a groundout ended the Cavemen threat.

“We had two baserunning errors that we shouldn’t have had,” Huemmer said. “We like to be aggressive on the base paths, but we know when we need to be aggressive and when we need to be cautious.”