Crown Point defeats LaPorte 5-4, ties for Duneland lead with 5-1 conference record

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

4-24-2010

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
LaPORTE (11-1, 5-1 DAC)	0	0	0	1	0	2	1	4	5	1
CROWN POINT (11-1, 5-1 DAC)	2	0	0	0	2	0	1	5	8	1

Brian Holloway (4) leads off 1st base against LaPorte 1st baseman Sean Rogers (2) .

LaPorte's Kevin Upp (12) watches CP's Josh Negele (23) run out this bunt attempt in the 4th inning.

Steve Strayer talks to the entire CP squad during LaPorte's sixth inning rally.

Mike Manion gets ready to pitch in the seventh inning as the scoreboard shows the score is tied. (All photos by Mark Smith)

Wednesday, 4-21-2010 - 45 degrees, sunny at CROWN POINT, IN

WP - Mike Manion (3-0) 0K 2 walks (1 inning)
SP - Josh Negele (CP) 9K, 3 walks
LP - Connor Podkul (3-1) 3K, 0 walks (2 innings)
SP - Kevin Upp (LaP) 4K, 3 walks (4.7 innings)

LaPORTE (11-1)
Jacob Craft (CF) 2-for-4, double, RBI
Dustin DeMuth (SS) 1-for-2, 2 walks
Evan Jurjevic (2B) 0-for-3, HBP
Jake McMahon (3B) 1-for-4
Kyle Upp (C) 0-for-2, walk
Pat Spence (DH) 0-for-2
Eddie Downs (RF) 0-for-3
Sean Rogers (1B) o-fro-1, walk
Darius Kincaid (LF) 1-for-2, sac bunt

CROWN POINT (11-1)
Brian Holloway (RF) 1-for-2, 2 walks
Scott Donley (2B) 0-for-4
Jeff Limbaugh (1B) 0-for-1, 2 walks, sac fly
Josh Negele (P-LF) 2-for-4
Jake Lindemann (S) 1-for-3, walk, RBI
Jose Andrade (DH-C) 1-for-4, RBI
Mike Manion (LF) 2-for-3
Breau LaSalle (3B) 1-for-4
Mike Kessler (CF) 0-for-2

CROWN POINT, IN (4-21-2010) When you go to see a match-up of the top two ranked teams in the state you have to figure you're going to walk away with some resolution as to who's better. Well, top-ranked Crown Point did top 4A No. 2 LaPorte 5-4 in 40 degree sunshine Wednesday. As the sun set behind third base, the winning run scored on a two-out throwing error by LaPorte third baseman Jake McMahon, scoring CP's Josh Negele in the bottom of the seventh.

These teams need to play again and they will in LaPorte on May 11. And maybe again after that.

"You've got to give Crown Point credit," said LaPorte coach Scott Upp. "They aren't No. 1 because somebody thinks they're good. They are good. They did as good job battling. They laid off pitches in that last inning that they could have gone after. They're good."

"We needed to win," said CP coach Steve Strayer, whose team lost for the first time all season two days earlier 6-4 to Chesterton.

"We would not have been in control of our destiny in the conference had we not gotten a win. All I can tell you is: This conference is tough. You can get beat every night."

This was a strong game. Well played. Both sides brought a lot to the table.

Crown Point scored twice in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Limbaugh and a run scoring single by junior Jose Andrade. LaPorte (11-1) had not trailed by more than one run at any time all season.

LaPorte, which had outscored 11 victims 97-17 in 11 season-opening wins, scored in the fourth inning on a rare umpire's ruling. With two out, Kyle Upp chopped a slow roller to CP second baseman Scott Donley. The CP senior charged the ball, but underhanded it over the head of 6-foot-5 first baseman Jeff Limbaugh. As base runner Dustin DeMuth raced to third, a CP infielder faked as if he was receiving a throw when the ball was still being retrieved in foul territory. The goal was to get the LaPorte runner to slide and keep him from advancing. The base umpire ruled that deception, which is illegal, was flagrant enough to be called, allowing both Slicer runners an extra base, scoring DeMuth to cut the CP lead to 2-1.

CP extended the lead to 4-1 in the fifth inning. Josh Negele singled and moved to second base on a passed ball. Jake Lindeman stroked an RBI single against losing pitcher Kevin Upp to score CP's third run. Jose Andrade grounded out, but both runners advanced. Manion then lined an RBI hit to right field to give the home team its biggest advantage.

But LaPorte scored twice against Negele in the sixth when a hit batter, a single and a passed ball put Slicer runners at second and third. Kyle Upp's ground out made the score 4-2 and a wild pitch by Negele cut the lead to 4-3.

Coach Steve Strayer went to curveballer Mike Manion to start the seventh inning, but a walk and a sacrifice bunt set up a one-out game-tying double by LaPorte's Jacob Craft, which set off a big celebration in the LaPorte dugout.

Manion regrouped and he was the batter with the winning run at second and two out in the seventh. While he didn't exactly blast the ball off LaPorte relief pitcher Connor Podkul, Manion didn't strike out either.

"Mike's not the kind of guy who lets what happened the day before bother him," said Strayer later. "He brushes things off."

"I didn't know who he was," admitted Manion later. "I guess he grew four inches from last year. We didn't even remember him from last season. He was throwing pretty good. I just wanted to put the bat on the ball."

"This was a big win. We couldn't lose two in a row. The Duneland Conference is the toughest conference in the state. Anybody can lose any game."

DOG NOTES: This is the fourth consecutive Crown Point victory over LaPorte. The Bulldogs swept two games from the Slicers last season but did not meet them in sectional play. In 2008, CP was 2-1 against LaPorte.

Crown Point improved to 12-1 on the season when they topped Elkhart Memorial 6-2 in a make up game Thursday night. Sophomore right-hander Steve Lowe (1-1) got the win in relief while Beau LaSalle and Mike Manion had two-run hits in a four-run sixth inning.

4A No. 1 CROWN POINT (12-1)
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 (7-4)
4-1 (W) 15-0 @ (South Bend) Adams (2-4)
4-5 (W) 12-0 @ Highland (8-5)
4-6 (W) 15-4 @ Lowell (2-7-1)
4-9 (W) 11-6 Griffith (3-7)
4-10 (W) 5-2 Munster (6-5)
4-13 (W) 12-0 @ Portage (7-2)
4-15 (W) 8-4 VALPARAISO (8-3)
4-17 (W) 11-6 @ (South Bend) Clay (4-6)
4-17 (W) 14-8 @ Mishawaka (5-3)
4-19 (L) 4-5 CHESTERTON (1-6)
4-21 (W) 5-4 LaPORTE (11-1)
4-22 (W) 6-2 (Elkhart) Memorial (8-3)

4-24 (S) vs MICHIGAN CITY @ the US Steelyard - Gary - 4:30 p.m.
4-27 (Tu) MERRILLVILLE (7-6) 4:30 p.m.
4-29 (Th) @ LAKE CENTRAL (10-1) 4:30 p.m.
4-30 (F) Illiana Christian (10-2) 4:30 p.m.
5-3 (M) PORTAGE- 4:30 p.m.
5-5 (W) @ VALPARAISO (8-3) 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.