MINNETONKA VS. CHAFFEE III; LOCAL SQUAD WINS ROUND 2 TO SET UP NOON SHOWDOWN

CHAFFEE -- There'll be a showdown today at high noon on Harmon Field to determine the top Junior American Legion baseball team in the seven-state region.

But the loser won't necessarily be leaving town at sundown.

Chaffee, serving as host of the eight-team, double-elimination tournament, stayed alive with two victories Monday to bring the tourney to a winner-take-all final today against Minnetonka, Minn. There will be no admission charge for the championship game.

Chaffee eliminated Germantown, Tenn., 9-5 Monday morning, then avenged their only loss of the tournament with an 8-1 victory over Minnetonka in the afternoon. Chaffee is now 44-4.

With no national tournament to follow, today's game will be the final game of the year for both teams. This is the highest level of competition a Junior American Legion team can attain.

"Being one of the top two teams in the seven states ... that's amazing," said Chaffee manager Jeff Graviett. "We wanted to prove we belong here and I think we did. Host team or not, I think the two best teams are still in it."

Although Chaffee did not win their way into the tournament field with a state championship, Minnetonka manager John Dahl has been impressed with the local team.

"I believe the two best teams are still here in this game," said Dahl, after his team lost their first game of the tourney. "We have a lot of respect for (Chaffee). We know they're good."

Dahl said it's 80 percent likely he'll send Andy Davidson to the hill for today's game. Davidson struck out 16 Chaffee batters in a 2-0 win Saturday. Chaffee will pin their hopes on the right arm of Oran High-product Dustin Glastetter, who has yet to see action in the tournament.

"We normally use Dustin as a closer," said Graviett. "He's as good as anybody we've got."

But Dahl expects his team to be ready today with their ace on the hill.

Said Dahl: "Our players play with a lot of confidence behind Davidson, so we'll be alright."

After managing just a bunt single in the 2-0 loss against Davidson, Chaffee banged 10 hits and never trailed Monday.

Dustin Dannenmueller, coming off a one-game suspension for dipping tobacco in a 15-2 win over Kansas City (Kan.) Sunday night, went the distance on the mound for Chaffee. He struck out nine in seven innings, allowing only five hits and appeared to get stronger as the game went on in 90-degree heat. Dannenmueller did not allow a hit after the fourth inning.

"Dustin was on. He really had his curve ball going," said Graviett. "He kept (Minnetonka) guessing."

Dannenmueller started slowly, allowing Minnetonka's first three batters to reach safely in the top of the first.

With the bases loaded and no outs, Dannenmueller struck out Minnetonka's clean-up batter and then started a 1-6-3 double play on a comebacker to get out of the jam.

"We hit a lot of at'em balls," Dahl said. "We hit them hard, but right at people."

To make matters worse for Minnetonka, Chaffee scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first without a hit to take a 1-0 lead. Tommy Stidham reached on an error and scored on two throwing errors.

Minnetonka knotted the score 1-1 in the third with an RBI-single by Scott Bogen (2-for-3), and had a chance for more with two runners on. But Chaffee third baseman Tory Meyr made a diving stop of a groundball down the line and made the throw to first base to end the inning.

"Tory's something else," said Graviett. "He'll play wherever we need him. He's quick, smart and he knows how to play the game."

With Meyr getting a leadoff walk, Chaffee scored four runs in the third -- all with two-out hits -- to chase Minnetonka starter Phil Bosshart. Consecutive hits by Josh Eftink, John Wipfler, Dannenmueller and Jason Glastetter plated the runs.

Another unearned run in the fourth and two more runs in the sixth supplied Chaffee plenty of insurance.

In the morning win over Germantown, Jim Hulshof went the distance and had two of Chaffee's 11 hits to help eliminate the Tennessee entry. Germantown was the third team eliminated by Chaffee.

Three-run innings in the first, third and fourth got Chaffee their runs. Germantown, which had nine hits and committed five errors, scored three runs in the third inning and two in the fourth to make the final score.

A two-out, two-run double by Hulshof in the third inning provided the winning runs and put Chaffee ahead 6-3. Three straight hits in the fourth inning accounted for Chaffee's final three runs to make the score 9-3.