REGIONAL RUNNER UP
Panthers magical season comes to an end.
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – Midland, Mich., ended De Pere's run in the American Legion Great Lakes Regional baseball tournament on Monday afternoon, eliminating the Panthers with an 8-6 victory in the championship round.
Midland (55-10) went 5-0 in the double-elimination tournament and beat De Pere for the second time this season. Midland also beat the Panthers in the championship game of a tournament in Escanaba, Mich., in June.
The Panthers (42-15) became the first Wisconsin team since Stevens Point in 1993 to reach the final day of the Great Lakes Regional. It was their deepest run in team history. De Pere went 3-2 in the tournament.
"It was a great run. Our kids proved they are great champions and represented our program, our community and our state as well as they possibly could have," De Pere coach Dan Lukes said.
De Pere took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, batting around and scoring on bases-loaded walks to Joe Betcher and Brent Jansen.
Midland made it 2-1 in the first, then took a 3-2 lead in the second on a two-run double by Maxwell Yatch, which chased starter Garrett Scray, who took the loss. Midland added another run in the second off reliever Tony Cantalupo.
The Panthers trimmed the lead to 4-3 on a double by Betcher that scored Brent Kakwitch, who was 4-for-4 with three runs scored.
Midland got four more runs off Cantalupo in the the fourth, scoring on a wild pitch, a balk and a two-run home run by Jordan Dean.
"Midland is a very good team and cashed in on their opportunities," Lukes said. "We had the bases loaded with no outs in two different innings (the first and the fifth) and only scored a total of three runs in those innings. With a couple of breaks, we could have ground out the win and who knows what happens from there."
Shayne Jansen drove in De Pere's last three runs, making it 8-4 in the fifth on a bases-loaded fielder's choice and finishing the scoring in the ninth with a two-run double.
Micah Stadler earned the win in relief of Midland starter Kyle O'Boyle, who left after four-plus innings. Midland will be playing in its third American Legion World Series since 1990.
American Legion Great Lakes Regional Tournament
August 14-18, 2008
Veterans Administration Memorial Stadium – Chillicothe, Ohio
Regional Stats Page
Thursday, August 14
Game 1 - Belleville, Ill. 4 vs. De Pere, Wis. 3
Game 2 – Midland, Mich. 8 vs. Eden Prairie, Minn. 6
Game 3 – Sandusky, Ohio 5 vs. Rockport, Ind. 3
Game 4 – Bradford, Pa. 7 vs. Chillicothe, Ohio 3
Friday, August 15
Game 5 - De Pere, Wis. 4 vs. Rockport, Ind. 2 (Rockport, Ind. Elmininated 21-14)
Game 6 – Eden Prairie, Minn. 14 vs. Chillicothe, Ohio 1 (Chillicothe, Ohio Elmininated 19-22)
Game 7 – Belleville, Ill. 6 vs. Sandusky, Ohio 1
Game 8 – Midland, Mich. (51-10) vs. Bradford, Pa. (27-11)
Saturday, August 16
Game 9 – Eden Prairie, Minn. 3 vs. Sandusky, Ohio 4 (Eden Prairie, Minn. Elmininated 44-11-1)
Game 10 – De Pere, Wis. 14 vs. Bradford, Pa. 0 (Bradford, Pa. Eliminated 27-13)
Game 11 – Belleville, Ill. 1 vs. Midland, Mich. 11
Sunday, August 17
Game 12 – De Pere, Wis. 12 vs. Belleville, Ill. 2 (Belleville, Ill. Eliminated 40-10)
Game 13 – Sandusky, Ohio 2 vs. Midland, Mich. 11 (Sandusky, Ohio Eliminated 35-11)
Monday, August 18
Game 14 – De Pere, Wis. 6 vs. Midland, Mich. 8 (De Pere, Wis. Eliminated 42-15)
Midland, Mich. advances to American Legion World Series (55-10)
2008 CLASS AAA STATE CHAMPIONS - DE PERE PANTHERS
