Strong start for Palatine

Palatine had no shortage of starting power in its American Legion baseball Great Lakes Regional opener Thursday night in Appleton, Wis.

Left-hander Clint Terry pitched 6 strong innings, Ryan Shober and Joey DePaolis homered and Palatine (26-8) scored 4 runs in the top of the first inning en route to an 11-1 win in eight innings over host Appleton (23-13).

"Nobody came out with any nerves and it was the same baseball we've been playing," said Shober, whose 3 hits also included a 2-run single in the first inning and a solo blast in the third.

"We just fed off our state championship and came out loose," said DePaolis, "and played our game like we've been playing."

DePaolis also had 3 hits, and his 2-run homer in the fifth was his fifth of the summer. Terry allowed a run on 4 hits with 9 strikeouts and 1 walk in 6 innings and Jake Llanas pitched 2 scoreless innings.

Lefty Matt Johnsen will start for Palatine in today's 8 p.m. winner's bracket game against Nor-Gwyn, Pa. (27-15), an 8-3 winner over Rochester, Minn.

"The boys were just loose and having fun," said Palatine coach Jeff Ryder.

"They couldn't wait to get out on the field."

And starting an hour late because of the length of an 8-7 win by Hammond, Ind., over Wausau, Wis., didn't bother Terry.

"I was really excited and a little bit nervous," Terry said when Ryder told him two days ago he would start. "But in the bullpen I was looking real good and my slider had a tight bite on it, so I knew I would do pretty good.

"All of my pitches (changeup, curve, slider) were working well."

Brett Chidester also filled in nicely at third base with 2 hits and a run with starter Eric Paulson unavailable because of the Area Code Games tryouts.

"Everything was clicking," Shober said. "It's a good way to start off this tournament."

Midland (Mich.) won the tourney opener 3-2 over Sandusky (Ohio).