Friday, August 10, 2007 11:03 PM CDT
Rock Island rocks into title game
AMERICAN LEGION STATE TOURNAMENT
BY BRIAN NIELSEN Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
MATTOON - Coach Tom Teager was still fretting over leaving runners on base.
Pitcher Travis Parker noted he did not have his best stuff.
Their Rock Island Post 200 team can be glad it has its chance today to show its best stuff.
So far, Post 200 has handled all comers, including Belleville Post 58 in Friday's 13-5 win that has Rock Island needing just to win one of possible two games today for the American Legion baseball state championship at Grimes Field.
"I think we'll sleep well tonight knowing they have to beat us twice," said Parker who on Friday night was also likely to sleep well from 8 2/3 innings of pitching in late afternoon heat.
Teager said: "Travis Parker threw his guts out. He got us into the ninth inning. We had to make a change because he had nothing left."
Making it to within one out of a complete game while throwing 137 pitches and allowing 12 hits was an accomplishment for this Indian Hills Community College player.
"I didn't have all my pitches but I was taught if you don't, you stay with it," Parker said. "Fortunately, my team got me enough runs."
Leading the offensive attack was Parker's Indian Hills teammate and first-round state tourney game winner Josh Gibbs, who was 3-for-6 including a double with two RBIs.
Five others had two hits each as Rock Island totaled
16 in raising its record to 33-9, including three wins in as many games at the state.
Still, Teager was not completely satisfied.
"We left too many on base," the coach said. "We scored
13 runs but we left a lot of men on base."
While Rock Island stranded 10 runners, Belleville left
15 on base as its season ended 35-8 going 1-2 in this tourney.
So far, this has gone smoother for Rock Island than its district and division tourneys when it had to come through losers' brackets.
Now Rock Island can wrap up the state championship and Great Lakes Regional berth by winning today's noon game.
If it loses that game to the winner of Friday nights'
losers' bracket survivor, a second game is to be played to determine the title.
Rock Island last won a state legion title in 1998.
"Tomorrow is a new day," Teager said before the Danville-Arlington Heights elimination game. "We know what we will have our hands full against whoever we play."
Teager was not announcing today's starting pitcher.
"I've got two starters who haven't thrown yet," he said. "You're playing for a state championship you have everybody available. Well, except for Travis Parker."
Parker said
Rock Island AB R H BI
Rangel, cf 5 0 2 3
T. Allison, 2b 5 2 2 0
Wethington, ss 5 2 2 0
Gibbs, lf 6 2 3 2
R. Allison, 3b 4 3 2 3
Hemmen, 1b 4 1 1 0
Holgate, dh 3 2 1 1
Paustian, rf 3 0 1 1
Radosevich, c 3 1 2 0
Totals 39 13 16 10
2B-Gibbs, Rangel, R. Allison, Radosovich. SB-R.
Allison 2, Paustian, Holgate. S-Radosevich, Radosevich, Paustian. SF-Rangel.
Belleville AB R H BI
Johnston, 3b 5 0 2 0
Mueth,. 1b 3 0 0 2
M. Matecki, ss 4 0 0 0
Hustedde, cf 5 0 2 0
Mertens, 2b 5 2 2 0
Alberter, c 5 1 1 0
Burk, dh 4 0 1 0
Bartsch, ph 1 0 1 0
Geolat, lf 5 1 1 1
Matzenbacher, rf 4 1 2 0
Schweppe, ph 1 0 1 0
Totals 42 5 13 3
2B-Mertens. SB-Geolat. SF-Mueth.
Rock Island 213 000 421 - 13-16-4
Belleville 020 000 200 - 5-13-2
Pitchers IP H R ER BB SO
Rock Island
Parker 8 2/3 12 5 3 4 6
Hauer 1/3 1 0 0 0 0
Belleville
Reeder 6 2/3 13 10 9 4 4
Mueth 1 1 2 1 1 1
Matzenbacher 1 1/3 2 1 1 1 2
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or
238-67856
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