Even as Terre Haute Wayne Newton Post 346 fell behind 2-0 Sunday, there were signs that the team would break through against Beverly, Ohio, lefty Chris Dent.
One of the signs was Nick Ciolli’s blast that cleared the ballpark by 50 feet but was about 20 feet right of the foul pole. On a day when Ciolli and Indiana’s 2006 Mr. Baseball Josh Phegley both went 0 for 4 at the plate, it was also evident it might take a “small-ball” attack to get back into the game.
The top of Wayne Newton’s lineup, with Cole Vicars and Koby Kraemer setting it up for Phegley, Brady Shoemaker, Ciolli and Skyler Pearson, is scarier than the psychotic nurse in Stephen King’s “Misery.”
But the contributions by the role players for Wayne Newton should be lauded as much for getting manager John Hayes’ team a win away from reaching his — and Terre Haute’s, according to pitching coach Mike Hayes — first national finals appearance in Legion baseball.
No. 8 hitter John Rosselli, who will play next year for Vincennes University, came up with three big hits. Rosselli took what Dent gave him Sunday and sparked his team’s biggest inning with a leadoff single. All three of the second baseman’s hits went through the hole between shortstop and third base.
“The pitcher was throwing a lot of off-speed pitches,” said Rosselli, who’s hitting over .400 this summer. “He was bringing them in on the inside corner, so you scoot up in the box. It’s kind of a hard ball. I pulled the ball a lot today and I know we had several other hits on the left side.”
Wayne Newton has relied on the amazing run production of Shoemaker, along with the power that Phegley and Ciolli provide, but the rest of the lineup has to help grind out the wins when everyone’s not on top of their game.
“It’s nice to have those guys up there when we need them,” Rosselli said. “We have to come up big at the bottom of the order, too. We just have a great lineup.”
Terre Haute’s pitching staff is as close to as talented as its lineup. Indiana University-bound Phegley is ready to pitch the first game today, and Indiana State-bound Skyler Pearson will be available if needed in a second game.
Along with others, Brian Fisher and Bobby Woods have been tough out of the bullpen, evidenced by Fisher’s save Sunday.
“I’ve kind of been our middle relief guy, but I knew Bobby threw a lot [Saturday] so I’d probably be the guy the rest of the tournament,” Fisher said.
While there wasn’t much to do after Cole Vicars pitched into the ninth inning, Fisher looks forward to coming in to do the dirty work.
“I know that I have to be focused in the middle innings,” Fisher said. “You can’t allow yourself to be rattled. I know it’s something that has to be done.”
While Shoemaker’s clutch hitting was integral in the win, his two-run double doesn’t happen if Brannon Fowler doesn’t drag a beautiful bunt to the right of the left-handed throwing pitcher. Vicars’ bunt down the third-base line to load the bases wasn’t an accident, either. Manager John Hayes has his team prepared to do the fundamentals, and the solid high school programs these guys come from helps as well.
“The inning where we scored three times, we got two bunts down. That’s happened this whole tournament,” Hayes said. “That’s good baseball.”
Good baseball’s pretty much a given with Wayne Newton Post 346 each summer.
Craig Pearson can be reached by email at craig.pearson@tribstar.com.
Given to Fly
Given to Fly: Role players provide vital little things
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GIVEN TO FLY: Come to expect new standards of excellence




