Lorain County’s American Legion baseball teams have come out swinging. Not only that, they have come out making contact.
Both Elyria Post 12 and Avon Lake Post 211 have put up big numbers this season, which got under way June 1, and they’ve done all right in the figures that truly matter — the number of victories.
Post 12 has a 7-2 record after Wednesday’s 6-5 non-league loss to Sandusky.
“The only game we’ve lost (to Prospect) was when we were shorthanded,” Post 12 coach Brad Chenoweth said before the second defeat. “Too many conflicts — graduation parties, weddings and things like that. That’s the life of a high school senior.”
When Post 12 is all together it presents a powerful lineup with some of the top players on the best high school teams in the county this spring, plus two players from Lorain County Community College.
Four players are from Southwestern Conference champion Amherst. Three others played for Patriot Athletic Conference winner Keystone. Four more are from Midview, a second-place finisher in the West Shore Conference. One each comes from Wellington and Elyria, runner-up teams in their respective leagues (PAC and Northeast Ohio Conference’s River Division). One player each from Vermilion and Firelands round out the roster for Post 12.
Keystone’s Kyle Shaw, the Lorain County Player of the Year, is on the Post 12 roster for the summer.
“We’re real happy and we’ve been playing good ball,” Chenoweth said. “We’ve gotten some real well-pitched games so far. Adam Beach (Vermilion) threw a good game. Ryan Rua (Amherst) threw one, and so did Nick Simonovich (Firelands).  I think that has been a huge advantage for us.”
Post 211 doesn’t have quite the wide representation as Post 12. Ten of its 14 players were on the Avon Lake High roster this spring. Two are from Avon and two, Steve Dunn (Westlake) and Mike Rosey (Clearview) are 2007 graduates. Dunn attends Hiram College.
The Post 211 team has been hitting at a .430 clip with 28 home runs through eight games (five victories). Avon Lake stars Michael Dillon and Peyton Armbrecht are batting .555 and .530, respectively. Dunn is hitting .500 with team highs in home runs (five) and RBIs (13). Ryan Kirkpatrick of ALHS went through a stretch of 15 consecutive at-bats getting on base.
“Everybody is doing so well hitting the ball,” coach Mike Dillon said. “Dunn hit the longest home run I think I’ve ever seen a kid his age hit. We just have to work on our pitching.”
The Elyria and Avon Lake Legion teams are in a league with Ashland, Bucyrus, Findlay, Fremont, Mansfield and Prospect (Marion County).
American Legion Post 397 in Vermilion did not field a baseball team this summer.

Rosters

ELYRIA POST 12
NAME    SCHOOL    POS.
Kevin Allen    Midview    OF
Ryan Bartizal    Amherst    1B
Adam Beach    Vermilion    P-IF
Brenton Brada    Elyria    P-OF
Mark Coughlin    Amherst    IF-OF
Andrew Eliopoulos    Amherst    3B-P
Jake Loczi    Midview    C-2B
Kull McClurg    Wellington    P-SS
Nick Miller    Midview    P
Grant Nagy    LCCC    1B
Andrew Pearce    Keystone    IF-P
Jimmy Reid    Keystone    IF-P
Tyler Reisinger    Midview    P-OF
Ryan Rua    Amherst    P-SS
Kyle Shaw    Keystone    P-OF
Nick Simonovich    Firelands    P
Mike Starkey    LCCC    P-OF

AVON LAKE POST 211
NAME    SCHOOL    POS.
Peyton Armbrecht    Avon Lake    OF
Jesse Campo    Avon Lake    P-1B
Michael Dillon    Avon Lake    C-P
Steve Dunn    Hiram College    1B
John Harrison    Avon    P-1B
Jason Herrara    Avon Lake    2B-3B
Joe Janicek    Avon Lake    P-OF
Tyler Jeske    Avon Lake    1B
Joe Latsko    Avon Lake    OF-P
Mike Rosey    Clearview    P-3B
A.J Ruschau    Avon    C-2B
Zack Sherman    Avon Lake    P-2B
Mark Spring    Avon Lake    2B-OF 

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