59-ers blast Bulldogs under lights 10-2, split DAC pair

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

5-9-2005

Saturday, 5-7-2005 - 58 degrees at Crown Point

WP – Austin Sutter (1-0) 4K, 0 walks (3 1/3 inn.)

LP - Matt Ernest (2-1) 2K, 1 walk (3 2/3 inn.)

3A No. 2 ANDREAN (19-2)

Joe Mack (1B) Double single, walk

Steve Augsburger (DH) Double, single

Anthony Cera (3B-P) Single, walk, 2 RBIs

Greg Yersich (Catcher) HBP, single

Tommy Finn (SS) Single, RBI

4A No. 10 CROWN POINT (11-5)

Nick Ullman (2B) Single, walk

Adam Quinn (1B) Single, walk, 2 RBIs

Matt Ernest (SS-P) Single, stolen base

Dave Dickerson (RF) Double, run scored

Friday, May 6, 2005 - 68 degrees in Crown Point

WP – Brett Summers (6-1) CG, 7Ks, 2 walks

LP - Jimmy Wilson (3-2)

4A No. 3 LAKE CENTRAL (17-1, 9-1 DAC)

Matt Dodaro (OF) Single, RBI

Nick Johnson (OF) Double, 3 RBIs

4A No. 10 CROWN POINT (11-4, 7-3 DAC)

Nick Ullman (2B) Triple, RBI

Adam Quinn (1B) Single, 2 RBIs

Thursday, May 5, 2005 - 64 degrees in Chesterton

WP – Matt Jansen (4-1) 11 Ks, 4 walks (6 2/3 inn.)

Matt Ernest (Save #2) 0 K, 0 walk (1/3 inn.)

LP - Chris Smith (2-4) 6 K, 2 walks, CG

Chesterton (7-8, 3-6 DAC)

Matt Maple (SS) Single, RBI

4A No. 10 CROWN POINT (11-3)

Nick Ullman (2B) 2 singles, 2 walks, 2 stolen bases

Matt Jansen (P) Double, 2 singles, 2 RBIs

Matt Ernest (SS-P) 2 singles, 2 runs scored

CROWN POINT, IN (5-7-2005) - If night baseball is a success at Crown Point, it won't be because the home team was so instantly dominant after dark.

After a 6-3 loss to 4A No. 2 Lake Central Friday night, the Bulldogs fell 10-2 to 3A No. 2 Andrean Saturday. the Bulldogs were too perfect as hosts, overanxious at the plate and shaky in the field as they fell to the top two programs in Lake County.

“It was a good experience,” said coach Steve Strayer. “I just wish we hadn't picked these two games to play our worst games of the year. It would have been nice if we'd have competed a little better than we did.”

At least Friday's Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) game, delayed by 70 minutes because of lightning, was relatively close. CP (11-5) gave up four first inning runs to the 59ers Saturday night and, even though they were facing a freshman right-hander Austin Sutter, the Bulldogs were never in the game against their neighbor school that they had not faced in 11 years.

“I beat my hometown,” smiled 25-year Andrean coach Dave Pishkur. a CP resident. “We haven't played these guys in the regular season since 1987. We beat them in the regional championship in 1994 in eight innings. It was a great game. I was glad to get a win. I would have hated to come here and lose, especially after we lost (9-8 to Griffith) Thursday.”

This was not a great game. In front of a crowd of about 150, CP right-hander Matt Ernest could not get started. Andrean's Brad King singled tom center and Joe Mack walked. The 59ers played conservatively, having top-hitting shortstop Tommy Finn bunt both runners along. But Ernest hit clean-up batter Greg Yersich with a pitch and then allowed a two-run double to Steve Augsburger. Andrean's Anthony Cera then slapped a two-run single to left and it was 4-0 after 15 minutes.

The Bulldogs could do nothing against Sutter, who was the top player in the Munster Little League three years ago. After Nick Ullman's leadoff single, Sutter, a 5-10 right-hander retired 10 batters in a row.

“I just had to throw the ball,” said Sutter, who was all smiles after the game. “My defense took care of everything.” Pishkur added. “We jumped on them early tonight and that made it easier for Austin. But he did a great job. he kept the ball low and threw strikes. I can't remember throwing a freshman pitcher. Tommy Richter in 1987 was the last one I can remember. He went on to play at Purdue.”

That's no lie. Finn, who has accepted a partial (about 75%, according to Pishkur) scholar ship to Northwestern University to play baseball, ranged behind second base to turn potential base hits into outs at least three times.

“He makes everybody else better,” said Pishkur. “You've seen him play for four years. he'll do very well there and he'll make that team better. If we'd have had him Thursday (at Griffith), we might have won that one.”

Finn, the 59ers 3,000-yard football quarterback, made it 6-0 with an RBI-double in the fourth inning. Relief pitcher Chris Saroff came in and gave up a run-scoring hit to the left-handed batting Mack, the junior transfer from Roncalli high in Indianapolis. Andrean's 2-5 hitters, Mack, Finn, Yersich and Augsburger are the best 2-through-5 group in this region. They collected seven hits on this night.

CP lost for the third time in four games in what they hope is a mid-season slump. The Bulldogs didn't attack Sutter and sophomore relief pitcher Kellen Mackin well. They didn't draw a walk until the game was out of reach and were behind in the count all night.

That plus three errors in the field didn't sit well with Strayer, who wanted to play Andrean and Lake Central back-to-back to test his team.

“I thought we played well against Chesterton,” said Strayer of a 5-2 win Thursday, “but it's amazing how quickly things can change. we're not very good right now.”

Against Lake Central, senior pitcher Jimmy Wilson led 2-0 on a two-run single by Adam Quinn, when a repeated lightning strikes caused umpires to halt play and get the boys of the field. When action resumed (first pitch was 7 p.m.) about 8:30 p.m., LC took control with the help of some CP errors. A capacity crowd of anywhere from 300-500 saw LC (17-1) score four runs in the second inning, three on a double by Nick Johnson. Matt Dodaro's RBI double made it 4-2.

LC star Brett Summers (6-2) struck out seven in seven innings allowing only Quinn's two-run hit and an RBI triple by Nick Ullman in the seventh inning. Lake Central remained even with 4A No. 2 LaPorte (18-2, 9-1 DAC) in the league race.

CP's Matt Jansen (3-1) struck out 11 in Thursday's 5-2 win over Chesterton. Jansen, the lefty with an 85-mile-an-hour fastball, overpowered the Chesterton hitters until his pitch count (130) soared to high. The CP junior struck out the side in the fourth and fifth innings. Matt Ernest got the last two outs for his second save in 14 games. The top three hitters in the CP order, Ullman, Ernest and Jansen collected seven base hits.

DOG NOTES: Night baseball went well in its first extended experiment (CP did have one night game last year in 42-degree weather) at the new Crown Point high school even though both games were far less than exciting.

Estimates of the crowd varied widely and athletic director Jerry Caravana reminded that paid attendance figures are deceptive anyway.

“Some of the parents have the spring sports pass (a multi-sports ticket than ensures entry to all spring events),” he said. “That's paid attendance, too.” Some said that 500 attended the Friday game with LC. Caravana thought it was maybe half that.

“But that's still a pretty good crowd for baseball,” he said.

On Saturday, on what became a fairly cold (48 degrees by the end of the game) spring night, Andrean and some Lake Central people made up half of the crowd of between 150-200. “I liked the crowd out there,” said Andrean coach Dave Pishkur, pointing toward the raised ground beyond left field where CP students have started the tradition of gather to sit and watch the game from the make believe 'bleachers.'

“This is a great setting for a game here,” he said. “I think people like to see Andrean play Crown Point. They used to be our natural No. 1 rival. Now, it would probably be Lake Central.”

“But this is going to be a series. I've always wanted to play this game. They're coming to our place next year.”

Crown Point has added a 6:00 p.m. home game on Wednesday, May 18 against Clay (12-5). The Friday home game against Jefferson (10-7) on May 13 will begin at 7:00 p.m.  CP closes the season with a May 27 game at 4A No. 7 Elkhart Memorial (14-5).

Andrean was named the state's top 3A team in this week's poll.  When the new softball poll is issued, Andrean should be number one in that poll as well. It is probably to be the latest in any regular season that any Lake County school has had both baseball and softball ranked No. 1 in any poll.

   2005  CROWN POINT (11-5, 7-3)
Coach Steve Strayer (3rd Year) 

Varsity Assistant: Rick Florkiewicz

23-10 in 2003, 17-11 in 2004  
DUNELAND ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (DAC) GAMES IN CAPS 

3-23 (W) Lowell at Crown Point - 4:30 p.m. (scrimmage) 

4-7 (Th) Crown Point at Highland - W, 7-2

4-9 (S) Crown Point vs. Kouts (at KV) - W, 11-1 (6 innings) 

4-9 (S) Crown Point at Kankakee Valley - L, 2-6 

4-13 (Tu) VALPARAISO at CP - W, 5-0  (5 innings)

4-14 (Th) CHESTERTON at CP - W, 2-0 

4-16 (S) Griffith at CP - W, 12-2 

4-18 (M) CP at LAKE CENTRAL - L, 2-3 

4-20 (W) CP at MICHIGAN CITY - W, 13-0 

4-25 (M) Crown Point at Rensselaer - RAINED OUT 

4-26 (Tu) MERRILLVILLE at CP - W, 9-3 

4-28 (Th) LaPORTE at CP - W, 3-2 (11-innings) 

4-29 (F) PORTAGE vs. CROWN POINT at the Steelyard - W, 8-3 

4-30 (S) Crown Point at Gavit - W, 11-3 

5-2 (M) CP at VALPARAISO - L, 1-3 

5-4 (W) CP at CHESTERTON - W, 5-2

5-6 (F) LAKE CENTRAL at CP - L, 3-6

5-7 (S) Andrean at CP - L, 2-10

5-10 (Tu) MICHIGAN CITY at CP - 4:30 p.m. 

5-12 (Th) PORTAGE at CP - 4:30 p.m. 

5-13 (F) Jefferson at CP - 7 p.m. 

5-17 (Tu) CP at MERRILLVILLE - 4:30 p.m. 

5-19 (Th) CP at LaPORTE - 4:30 p.m. 

Terre Haute North Invitational 

5-21 (S) semifinals - TBA 

5-21 (S) finals - TBA 

5-24 (Tu) Lowell at CP - 4:30 p.m. 

5-26 (Th) Clark at CP - 4:30 p.m. 

5-27 (F) CP at Elkhart Memorial - 7 p.m. 

CHESTERTON (4A) SECTIONAL 

5-31 (Tu) quarterfinals - TBA 

6-3 (F) semifinals - TBA 

6-4 (S) championship - TBA

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Revised: May 11, 2005.