CROWN POINT (04-21-2011) Crown Point needed a Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) win over LaPorte last Thursday.
But more than that, they just needed to play a game.
One full month after their pre-season scrimmage at Lowell, Crown Point had lost three whole games. But they'd only played seven games.
The 4-2 victory over defending 4A Sectional 2 champion LaPorte (8-3) was certainly the best win of the year so far.
"Rumors of our demise have been greatly exaggerated," said CP coach Brett Crutchfield, only half kidding.
The Lady Bulldogs had been used to being highly-rated and, after going 51-7 the last two years that's understandable. In truth, there's no way to know about CP's collective worth with the all new pitching combination of Rachel Centanni and Sienna Gyure because the Bulldogs just haven't played enough games yet.
"We're learning as we go," he said. "And I think we'll be comfortable enough come May where we can compete. Everybody's improving on weaknesses and capitalizing on strengths."
The key to this game was probably the sixth inning when LaPorte, trailing 4-2, got leadoff singles form Skyler Kramer and Samantha Becker.
Gyure, a sophomore right-hander, struck out LaPorte's Hannah Fuller, got Meghan Bunch to pop up and got pinch hitter Addison Boardman to ground out to shortstop Jessica Palm.
"That's something we've been talking about," said coach Brett Crutchfield. "Not letting a rally turn into a big inning. We've had a few too many lately and we haven't been able to get out. Siena made good pitches and we made some good plays behind her."
Crown Point (4-3) jumped on LaPorte in the first inning under sunny skies as senior Jessica Palm lined a two-run double over the head of center fielder Alexis Botsford. The ball was catchable, but it carried over Botsford's head and dropped near the fence. Allison Amodeo and Victoria Connelly, who had both singled, both scored.
In the second inning, CP sophomore Sienna Gyure hit a similar high fly that carried over the head of LaPorte right fielder Emma Dickson. Ground outs by Rachel Centanni and Gabby Raspopovich scored CP's third run.
Despite a two-run, two-out double from LaPorte's Meghan Bunch in the fourth inning, that early Bulldog lead held up. The CP attack was sparked by seniors Allison Amodeo and Victoria Connelly at the top of the order, who both had two hits.
"We switched around the batting order today and we got a little production," Crutchfield said. "It looked good. We took advantage of our opportunities."
Some teams have played 15 games, but the Lady Bulldogs' win over LaPorte was just their seventh game. The only thing new that seems certain about CP this season is that freshmen twin sisters Allison (Ally) and Amanda Rock are ready for starting roles on the CPHS varsity. Amanda Rock, CP's third baseman, was 1-for-3 with an RBI Thursday and Ally Rock is a solid catcher. Playing with six older returning starters, the Rock sisters fill out CP's starting lineup quite nicely.
"They've made an impact," said Crutchfield. "Both of them. They really have made an impact in our program already."
It is obviously a high-scoring season. High school softball is basically a game of 1-0 and 2-1 games involving quality teams. In Northwest Indiana, that has not been the case this season at all. Crown Point was to host Lake Central (11-4) Tuesday in a rematch of LC's 10-6 win on April 5. Winning teams are giving up four and five runs a night.
"Seems like it," Crutchfield agreed. "I kinda knew that going in. At least, that was our guess. The region graduated a lot of good arms. We've seen some pretty good pitching so far. Maybe the hitters are catching up with this (the new longer pitching distance, instituted last season) 43 feet thing. And there's more kids who are offensive minded. Maybe when you're stuck in the gym for eight, nine, 10 straight days, all you can do is work on your hitting."
CPLB NOTES: Saturday's Crown Point Invitational, featuring the Lady Bulldogs and guests Hanover Central, Wheeler and Andrean, could not be played after daylong rains that lasted late into Friday evening made CP's field unplayable. The four schools, who were going to play three times each on Saturday, will attempt to make up the match ups as single games.
At the start of this week, CP's varsity softball record stood at four games won, three games lost and seven games (Lowell, Munster, Chesterton and Michigan City were the others) postponed by the weather.
Even if CP plays five times this week (as is now scheduled) they would have a minimum of 16 games remaining in May before the sectional playoffs, which begin in Crown Point on Monday, May 23.
Crown Point defeated LaPorte twice during the regular season in 2010, only to lose to them 5-4 in the sectional championship game.
Crown Point drew Frontier in the opening game of the Twin lakes Invitational on May 7. The game is set for 4:45 p.m. Crown Point time Friday. CP plays Maconaquah at 9:30 Saturday morning and Twin Lakes at 12:30 Saturday afternoon.
The semifinals and finals on May 7 will be at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Twin Lakes high school in Monticello, Indiana.
2011 CROWN POINT (4-3)
29-2 (2010), 24-5 (2009), 17-8 (2008)
all games - 4:30 p.m. unless noted - DAC games in CAPS
March 28 (W) 8-4 Hobart (2-7)
March 31 (L) 3-13 (5 inn.) at Penn (6-1)
April 5 (L) 6-10 at LAKE CENTRAL (11-4)
April 8 (rained out) Munster
April 7 (W) 10-0 MERRILLVILLE (0-10)
April 12 (W) 14-1 VALPARAISO (2-8)
April 14 (L) 1-5 at PORTAGE (6-4)
April 16 (rained out) Lowell
April 18 (rained out) LaPORTE
April 20 (rained out) CHESTERTON
April 21 (W) 4-2 LaPorte (8-3)
April 22 (rained out) at MICHIGAN CITY
April 23 (rained out) CROWN POINT Invitational
vs. Wheeler, Hanover Central and Andrean
April 25 (M) CHESTERTON
April 26 (Tu) at LAKE CENTRAL
April 27 (W) at MICHIGAN CITY
April 28 (Th) at MERRILLVILLE
April 29 (F) at Illiana Christian (Lansing. Ill.)
May 2 (M) at VALPARAISO
May 4 (W) PORTAGE
May 5 (Th) at LaPORTE
May 6-7 (Fri-Sat) TWIN LAKES Invitational
Twin Lakes Tournament Schedule
May 6 (Fri) pool play game - 1 p.m.
May 7 (Sat) pool play game - 2 p.m.
May 7 (Sat.) pool play game - 3 p.m.
May 10 (Tu) at CHESTERTON
May 12 (Th) MICHIGAN CITY
May 13 (F) at Griffith
May 16 (M) at Boone Grove
May 20 (F) Highland
Crown Point Sectional
May 23 (M) at Crown Point
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Revised: May 02, 2011.
