Crown Point defeats Sandburg 3-1 to open 2010 baseball season

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

4-01-2010

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
CROWN POINT (1-0)	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	3	4	5
Sandburg (2-1)	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	1

Tuesday, 3-30-2010 - 62 degrees, partly sunny at ORLAND PARK, IL

WP - Josh Negele (1-0) 9K, 1 walk (6 innings) 90 pitches
SAVE - Mike Manion (1 inning) 3K, 2 walks
LP - Joe Marino (0-1) 1K, 0 walks (1.7 innings)
Joe Greenfield (starter) 6K 4 walks 0 earned runs (4.7 innings)

CROWN POINT (1-0)
Brian Holloway (RF) 0-for-2
Scott Donley (3B) 1-for-2, walk, run scored
Jeff Limbaugh (1B) 1-for-2, 2 walks, RBI
Josh Negele (P-LF) 1-for-3, double
Jake Lindeman (SS) 0-for-3, walk
Jose Andrade (DH) 0-for-4
Beau LaSalle (2B) 0-for-3
Joe Hopman (LF-RF) Single, run scored
Mike Kessler (CF) 0-for-2, walk

(Orland Park, IL) Sandburg (2-1)
Nick DeWolf (LF) 1-for-3, walk
Mike Matteo (2B) 0-for-2, HBP, walk
Joe Greenfield (DH) 0-for-3 sac bunt
Brant Valach (3B) 1-for-3
Ryan Billo (1B) 0-for-3
Vince Kmiec (SS) 0-for-3
Matt Mangold (RF) 0-for-3
Matt Zejmke (CF) 0-for-2
Neal Pyold (C) 0-for-2

ORLAND PARK, IL (3-30-2010) An early season game between Class 4A No.1 Crown Point and Sandburg, rated third in the Chicagoland area, two teams that knew nothing about each other resembled a game between teams that knew nothing about each other.

There were more walks (seven) and errors (six) than base hits (six) and runs. But was interesting. And the Bulldogs got three hits in a row after two out in the seventh inning to top Sandburg 3-1 Tuesday in the setting sun of Chicago's southwest suburbs.

Hopefully these two schools begin a long-standing series because they are a good match for each other and the distance between the two schools isn't any further than it is from CP to rival LaPorte. But hopefully, Crown Point plays better than they did Tuesday. Sandburg folks could be excused if they asked, "Is that really the number one team in the whole state of Indiana?"

A lead off error by CP third baseman Scott Donley set Sandburg up for a run in the second inning. Sandburg's Matt Zemke laid down a sacrifice bunt and, not only did pitcher Josh Negele throw the ball into center field, center fielder Mike Kessler overran it. The double error scored the runner at first and gave the Eagles, who reached the final 16 in Class 4A (Illinois has four classes like Indiana does) a 1-0 lead.

CP tied the game when Negele's bases-loaded, two-out ground ball to Sandburg shortstop Vince Kmiec was fumbled for the Eagles' only error. CP committed two more errors to allow two base runners in the fifth inning. But Negele struck out Joe Greenfield and CP right fielder Joe Hopman, who had missed an easy fly ball three batters earlier, made a diving, inning-ending catch of Brant Valach's line drive in right center field.

"We're playing some pretty bad baseball right now," smiled CP coach Steve Strayer of what he was saying to his team during the game. "Let's try to get a win and get out of here. We looked sharp in the last inning. Hopefully we can look that way most of the time. Maybe six good innings and one bad inning. I have a lot of confidence in Scottie, Jeff (Limbaugh) and Josh. they've hit for us over the years. Finally, they came through. Better late than never."

The Bulldogs, who had just four base hits in the game, strung three of them together after two out in the seventh inning against Sandburg's fourth pitcher, Jim Merino. Donley grounded a hard single to center, moved up on a wild pitch and scored when Jeff Limbaugh lined a single to center. Negele doubled down the right field line and, after Mike Krzus came on in relief, scored on a wild pitch.

In the seventh, right-hander Mike Manion came on in relief for Crown Point, walking two and striking out three in an entertaining final inning.

Sandburg right hander Joe Greenfield, a control pitcher, struck out six and walked four, allowing just one hit in five innings. Crown Point left nine men on base in the game and if Hopman doesn't make his diving catch, Sandburg wins.

"I don't know what was going on," said Strayer of the defense. "It would be different if we had new guys out there. A lot of errors came from seniors. It doesn't concern me too much. These guys are too good to play like that. We've got a couple of weeks to get over this if there is something."

The trip to Sandburg was good for the Bulldogs. More Crown Point fans were in the stands than were Sandburg followers, but there wasn't 100 people total at the game. The Eagles other spring sports were in action all around the baseball field in a complex that resembled Lake Central. Strayer says this won't be the last time the Bulldogs invade Illinois.

"They're coming to our place next year," said Strayer, who suggests he would rather not have his team win its first half dozen non-conference games prior to the start of the 14-game Duneland Athletic Conference season.

"We're trying to get a few more teams that have good programs over here like Sandburg to play us. It's got to help us. We can't just go up there and tee off on pitching like this."

"We started off a little timid," said Limbaugh. "We were taking a lot of pitches. Everyone was waiting for that perfect pitch. We finally decided to just come out and swing. Just put the bat on the ball. In the seventh, the first ball that came down the middle, I was swinging. We picked it up at the end and hopefully we can go from there."

Crown Point may feel they are in a tough position early in the season. When you were 30-3 last season and 29-6 the year before and regional champs both years, you can't claim you are an underdog. You cannot claim that -- no one believes in you. And when you're ranked No. 1, you can't claim that nobody gives you any respect. All the usual high school team talking points are unavailable and you have to stand up every day and be the frontrunner.

"We're just taking it game-by-game," Limbaugh said after his third varsity season began with CP's 60th victory in its last 72 games. "It's a relief to win the first one. We're not looking down the road too much. You just want to be level-headed and not listen to the rankings."

DOG NOTES: Josh Negele, who was 9-1 last season, threw 90 pitches and could have finished the game.

"I felt good," he said later. "My arm didn't hurt at all and I was hitting my spots. We just needed to get this game out of our system. There were some pre-game jitters."

Crown Point senior first baseman Jeff Limbaugh committed last year to Parkland Junior College in Champaign, Illinois. But Limbaugh, who hit .465 with 46 RBIs in 33 games last season, is getting Division I offers. There is talk that he might change his mind and go to a larger school. Jeff says that is an option.

"I was looking at Butler but let's see how this season goes. There's other schools. I can still opt out because Parkland is a junior college. It's a little up in the air. It's all about how I do this year."

Crown Point sophomore Joe Hopman, who was CP's' football quarterback in 2009, made his varsity baseball debut. He missed a fly ball, made a diving catch and singled to right in his first at bat.

"That doesn't make any sense to me," admitted CP coach Steve Strayer. "Sometimes when they have to think about it, it gets in their heads. He overran it. It was windy. I can see him making a mistake. But our older kids made mistakes and that's what shocked me."

4A No. 1 CROWN POINT (1-0)
Coach Steve Strayer (8th year)
30-3 in 2009, 29-6-2 (2008), 29-3 (2007), 22-9 (2006)

4-30 (W) 3-1 @ (Orland Park) Sandburg (2-1)
4-1 (Th) @ (South Bend) Adams - 5 p.m.
4-3 (S) Elkhart Memorial (1-0) 10 a.m.
4-5 (M) @ Highland - 4:30 p.m.
4-6 (Tu.) @ Lowell - 4:30- p.m.
4-8 (Th) Munster - 4:30 p.m.
4-9 (F) Griffith - 4:30 p.m.
4-13 (Tu) @ Portage - 4:30 p.m.
4-15 (Th) VALPARAISO- 4:30 p.m.
4-17 (Sat) @ (South Bend) Clay - 10 a.m.
4-17 (Sat.) @ Mishawaka (1-0) 3 p.m.
4-19 (M) CHESTERTON - 4:30 p.m.
4-21 (W) LaPORTE - 4:30 p.m.
4-24 (S) vs MICHIGAN CITY @ the US Steelyard -Gary - 4:30 p.m.
4-27 (Tu) MERRILLVILLE - 4:30 p.m.
4-29 (Th) @ LAKE CENTRAL - 4:30 p.m.
4-30 (F) Illiana Christian - 4:30 p.m.
5-3 (M) PORTAGE- 4:30 p.m.
5-5 (W) @ VALPARAISO - 4:30 p.m.
5-7 (F) @ CHESTERTON - 4:30 p.m.

Plymouth Invitational (with Penn, Carroll & CP)
5-8 (S) semifinals (a.m.) finals (night)

5-11 (Tu) @ LaPORTE - 4:30 p.m.
5-13 (Th) MICHIGAN CITY - 4:30 p.m.
5-14 (F) Boone Grove - 7 p.m.
5-18 (Tu) @ MERRILLVILLE - 4:30 p.m.
5-20 (Th) LAKE CENTRAL - 4:30 p.m.

Benton Central Invitational
5-22 (S) semifinals (a.m.)
5-22 (S) finals (p.m.)

5-24 (M) Kankakee Valley (night) 7 p.m.

4A CROWN POINT Sectional
5-27 (Th) quarterfinals (p.m.)
5-28 (F) quarterfinals (p.m.)
5-29 (S) semifinals (a.m.).
5-31 (M) sectional championship (p.m.)

4A LaPorte Regional
6-5 (Sat) semifinals (a.m.) finals (p.m.)

4A South Bend Semistate Championship
6-12 (S) one game (TBA)

2010 Indiana Class 4A State Championship Game
6-19 (S) @ Victory Field - Indianapolis - 7 p.m.