Crown Point defeats LaPorte 9-4 to remain unbeaten at 17-0

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

5-09-2009

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
LaPorte (10-6)	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	4	6	0
CROWN POINT (17-0)	1	0	3	0	5	0	-	9	8	1

Wednesday, 5-06-2009 - 67 degrees, sunny & windy at CROWN POINT, IN

WP - Mike Kozlowski (4-0) CG, 9K, 4 walks (107 pitches)
LP - Connor Podkul (1-2) 2K, 3 walks (4 1/3 innings)

LaPORTE (10-6)
Kyle Rosenbaum (CF) 3-for-4,
Darius Kincaid (LF) 0-for-3, sac bunt
Jake McMahon (SS) 0-for-4
Tyler Overmeyer (C) 1-for-3
Evan Jurjevic (2B) 0-for-2, walk
Grant Nokes (1B) 0-for-1, 2 walks
Kyle Upp (3B) 2-for-3, double, 4 RBIs
Kory Buresh (DH) 0-for-2, walk
Eddie Downs (RF) 0-for-3

CROWN POINT (17-0)
Brian Holloway (CF) 2-for-3 HBP, stolen base, 2 runs scored
Scott Donley (SS) 1-for-3, 2 runs scored, walk
Mike Kozlowski (P) 1-for-3, RBI, walk, 2 stolen bases
Jeff Limbaugh (1B) 0-for-1, 2 walks, Sac Fly
Josh Negele (RF) 2-for-4, 3 RBIs
Matt Zurbriggen (C) 0-for-3, walks
Jake Lindeman (LF) 2-for-3, RBI
Jose Andrade (DH) HBP
Beau LaSalle (2B) 0-for-1, walk,
Miles Atherton (3B) 0-for-2, Sac Fly, RBI

CROWN POINT (5-06-2009) Since the Crown Point Bulldogs haven't been losing, those of us who watch have been reduced to analyzing the quality of their wins. In the real world (the one CP hasn't been living in the last three years), a five-run win over perennial power LaPorte and a 9-0 record in the Duneland Athletic Conference would be heartwarming heading into a three-game weekend.

But in Bulldog-land, where the natives have won 75 of their last 84 games, Crown Point 's 9-4 victory over the Slicers wasn't dominant. They had eight base hits, all singles. Winning pitcher Mike Kozlowski threw 107 pitches and walked four in seven innings. The Bulldogs flied out to the outfield nine times.

"We were tested Monday," said CP coach Steve Strayer. "We didn't score until the sixth inning at Michigan City. We did a nice job tonight. We didn't get all worked up when we were behind. We didn't start dipping our shoulders and trying to jack the ball, even though the wind was blowing out to left. We did what we had to do to win."

"I thought we were in control," said LaPorte head varsity coach Scott Upp, who liked this game much better than the 11-0 loss at home to Crown Point last month. "I thought we were somewhat in control even when the score was 4-4. But I didn't want to take anything away from them. They're a good team obviously or they wouldn't be 17-0."

If you saw the Bulldogs win Monday as off-peak, it could be suggested that CP is feeling some pressure for being ranked No. 1 and being the only remaining undefeated team in Northwest Indiana. But, from a baseball standpoint, it is a statistical reality that they couldn't go on the way they were. Crown Point outscored their first 15 foes by a combined score of 176-17. That just does not happen at the big school varsity level and you don't really want to win every game by 10 runs, because you're not learning anything about your quality as a team. Strayer clearly would like to win some close games, but this was only the second time all season that anyone has come within five runs of his boys.

"We're not playing like we were earlier," Strayer said. 'But give them some credit. Their pitcher (Conner Podkul) did a nice job. Their outfield played very deep and the ball didn't get behind them. We did a nice job tonight."

LaPorte took a 2-1 lead in the second inning when Kyle Upp doubled to the right-center field fence against Kozlowski, who walked three batters in the first two innings on a sunny, but windy afternoon. The Bulldogs scored three runs in the fourth inning on RBIs by Kozlowski, Jeff Limbaugh and Josh Negele, but another two-run hit by Upp, the coaches son, tied the game 4-4 in the fourth.

CP took the lead in the fifth when Donley singled, Kozlowski walked and Negele grounded a two-run single to center, putting the home team ahead 6-4. Junior Pat Spence came on in relief and walked CP's Matt Zurbriggen and allowed an RBI hit to CP freshman Jake Lindeman. Junior Jake Irvin then came out of the bullpen and walked CP's Beau LaSalle before throwing a wild pitch to score CP's eighth run. Miles Atherton's sacrifice flyball upped the Bulldog edge to 9-4.

LaPorte has undergone a rebirth since losing big to CP in April. A couple of Slicers are now former Slicers and LaPorte is a younger team that is again on the rise.

"I think we'd played well for the last five games," said Upp, who had watched his team defeat Chesterton and Portage Monday and Tuesday before the loss at CP Wednesday. "So we played well for 5-1/2 games. Conner did what we asked him to do. But they got a couple of hits that they dumped into the outfield and we couldn't stop them in that fifth inning. The wind was blowing out to left field and nobody got the ball up into it all day. I wouldn't have believed that. Baseball will bury you if you think about it too much."

DOG NOTES: Sophomore Brian Holloway batted leadoff for the first time this season and he was on base three time in four plate appearances.

"He did a nice job," said coach Steve Strayer. "Beau LaSalle (CP's leadoff man most of the year) has been in a little bit of a slump at the plate and we wanted to get him out of it. Brian looked good there. I don't know if we'll do it again."

Holloway, who is in his first year on the CP varsity, is OK with batting anywhere just so he's in the lineup.

"I used to lead off when I was on the JV. If he wants to do that, I'm Ok with it."

Crown Point has rescheduled its game with south suburban Chicago power Illiana Christian (17-3) to May 16 at 10:00 a.m. There is still no rescheduled date for the rainout with Morton and some are hoping that CP uses the extra date to get together with 3A No. 2 Andrean (14-2), in what would be a highlight to the season.

Crown Point designated hitter Jose Andrade, was hit on the left hand (he's right-handed) by a pitch in the second inning and he had to leave the game. The Bulldogs are hoping X-rays will clear him to finish the season.

Crown Point sophomore right-hander Mike Manion (3-0) pitched a four-hit shutout Monday as CP won at Michigan City 6-0. Manion is in line to pitch Saturday when the Bulldogs take on 4A No. 5 Penn (13-1) at 12:00 noon (Central time) in the semifinals of the Plymouth Invitational.

2009 CROWN POINT (17-0)
Coach Steve Strayer (7th year) 141-51-4 (6 seasons) 29-6-2 (2008) 29-3 (2007)

4-4 (W) 6-1 at Elkhart Memorial (9-7)
4-8 (W) 11-1 (5 innings) Highland (5-7)
4-9 (W) 14-2 (6 innings) Munster (7-8)
4-10 (W) 22-7 at Griffith (8-8)
4-11 (W) 9-0 Lowell (5-11)
4-14 (W) 9-0 MICHIGAN CITY (4-10)
4-16 (W) 11-0 (5 innings) at LaPORTE (10-6)
4-17 (W) 24-0 (5 innings) at Hanover Central (3-8)
4-18 (W) 13-1 (5 innings) Clay (6-6)
4-18 (W) 13-2 (5 innings) Mishawaka (7-5)
4-22 (W) 5-2 at CHESTERTON (7-7)
4-23 (W) 13-3 (6 innings) at VALPARAISO (6-10)
4-24 (W) 14-6 PORTAGE (10-4)
4-28 (W) 12-2 (5 innings) LAKE CENTRAL (13-1)
5-1 (wet grounds) Illiana Christian (17-3)
5-2 (postponed) at Morton (6-6)
5-2 (W) 7-0 at MERRILLVILLE (3-13)
5-4 (W) 6-0 at Michigan City (3-7)
5-6 (W) 9-4 LaPORTE (10-6)

5-8 (F) CHESTERTON (7-7) 4:30 p.m.

Plymouth Invitational (with Penn, CP and Carroll)
5-9 (Sat) vs. Penn (13-1) 12:00 noon
5-9 (Sat) vs. Plymouth (9-4) or Carroll (7-4) 4:00 p.m.

5-12 (Tues) VALPARAISO (6-10) 4:30 p.m.
5-14 (Thurs) at PORTAGE (10-4) 4:30 p.m.
5-15 (F) Boone Grove (12-3) 7:30 p.m.
5-16 (S) Illiana Christian (17-3) 10:00 a.m.
5-19 (Tues) at LAKE CENTRAL (14-1) 4:30 p.m.
5-21 (Thurs) MERRILLVILLE (3-13) 4:30 p.m.

Crown Point Classic (with Northridge, St. Joseph's and KV)
5-23 (S) semifinals - 10:00 a.m.
5-23 (S) consolation and finals - 4:00 p.m.
5-26 (Tues) Washington Township (10-2) 7:00 p.m.

Chesterton (4A) Sectional
5-28 (Thurs) quarterfinals - 5:00 p.m.
5-30 (S) semifinals - 11:00 a.m.
6-1 (M) Sectional championship - 7:00 p.m.