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

CP pitcher Siena Gyure, above, works with a seven-run lead in the third inning in Thursday's game against Penn. (All photos by Mark Smith)

CP catcher Ally Rock checks the third base bench for the signs early in Thursday's game against Penn.

CP's Mandy Schroeder gets ready as the CP bench looks on during the home opener against Penn.

CP third baseman Amanda Rock gets ready for the ball to come her way in the first home game against Penn.

CP's Danielle Page (23) knocks down a bases loaded ground ball by Penn's Claryse Gedde and steps to her right to pick it up.

As Page (23) steps to her right to pick up the ball, second baseman Raeanna Jenks moves to her right to back up the play.

Second baseman Raeanna Jenks covers first base and takes the throw from Paige to end the fifth inning. (All photos by Mark Smith)

CROWN POINT (03-29-2012) You don't want to get carried away, but when you start the season winning 10-3 and 9-2, things are looking good for your season.
Especially when it's a school like Penn you beat 9-2.

It's not certain how good the Kingsmen will be this year for various reasons, but CP's rebuilt lineup produced a lot of runs for the second game in a row.

"Its good to see our offense come out," said CP coach Brett Crutchfield. "It's encouraging. I like the way our offense started early. We didn't do that against Hobart. It was a rough first few innings."

"Tough conditions. The sun went away pretty early. To hold onto the ball was kinda tough. To swing the bat was kinda tough."

Crown Point (2-0) scored six runs in the first inning against Penn sophomore right-hander Tori Woodiwiss, who was making just her second varsity start. With two out, Raeanna Jenks doubled down the left field line and Siena Gyure was safe when her hard grounder got away from Penn third baseman Monica Smith.

After Ally Rock was hit but a pitch, sister Amanda Rock lined a long double to left center, scoring two runs.

Senior Lexi Rolfe's single upped the lead to 4-0 and Rachel Suits two-run single made the score 6-0 after just the first inning.

"That's a great program," said Crutchfield. "They have a great coach and we know we're in for a fight whenever we go up against them."

Penn collected eight base hits and drew three walks, but CP was able to keep Penn off the scoreboard until the seventh inning. With the bases loaded in the fourth inning of a 7-0 game, Penn's right-handed hitting Claryse Gedde sliced a hard one-hop drive to CP first baseman Danielle Page, who blocked it, but did not catch it.

With all three runners on the move, Page scrambled to her right to pick up the ball and toss it to Jenks, CP's senior second baseman who raced behind Page to cover first base. The play didn't save the game but it probably saved two runs.

"I always try to back her up. I know that people back me up if I can't make a play," said Jenks. "She (Page) is really good and it's easy to assume she'll make the play. But I had to back her up."

Crown Point has two rookies at the top of the lineup in outfielders and sisters Kendall and Bailey Morris. The duo was 2-for-7 but they put the ball in play six times and that's going to be a key for this team. Jenks and Gyure batted third and fourth, followed by power hitting sophomore sisters Ally and Amanda Rock.

The CP batting order was held to just three hits in the final five innings by Penn right-hander MacKenzie Joecken, but some of that was the game situation and the suddenly winter-like conditions which featured 20-mile-an-hour winds and temperatures diving into the mid-40s.

Jenks is one of just two seniors on the 2012 Lady Bulldogs (Lexi Rolff is the other) and its odd to think of her as being the old veteran. But she has played more games than anyone on the CP roster, which makes her the team leader.

"I think our team chemistry is our strength," she said. "We're always together. It's really a family. It's a lot different for me because I've always been the youngest one. I have to change roles and be a leader. I'll try to just lead by example."

As you might expect from someone who played on CP's top-ranked 27-2 team in 2009 and last year's sectional championship Lady Bulldog squad, Jenks has high hopes.

"I think we have three strong pitchers," she said. "I just want to go as far as we can. State's our goal right now."

DOG NOTES: Sophomore Rachel Centanni, who suffered a torn labrum (forearm) injury at the end of last season, returned to pitch the final two innings against Penn. The right-hander gave up two runs on five hits, but she threw the ball well.

"She's on a pitching program," said coach Brett Crutchfield. "She looking to do about two innings and this is the first time we've had that opportunity. We've gone back and forth with her therapist and that's what we've come up with."

"The conditions today (45 degrees and windy) were about as bad as it can get. So, we'll want to see how she responds and how she feels tomorrow. It's a slow process but we're moving forward."

Penn senior starting pitcher Alexis Tashijan was with the team but will not play following brain surgery this winter.

"It's been upsetting to them," admitted Penn coach Beth Zachary of her team. "Tashijan has brain cancer and she's in remission, although not cured.

"They didn't get it all," said Zachary, "because it's imbedded. The doctors will have to watch her for at least four years."

Copyright © 2012 USA-365.com and Meyer Multimedia Services, a division of Meyer Broadcasting Corp.  All rights reserved.
Revised: April 06, 2012.