Bulldogs firm up pitching in back-to-back wins over Portage 2-1 and Lafayette Jefferson 4-2

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

5-15-2005

Friday, 5-13-2005 - light rain and 56 degrees at Crown Point

WP – Matt Jansen (5-1) 8Ks, 3 walks (5 inn.)
Jimmy Wilson (Save #1) 2K, 3 walks (2 inn.)
LP – Eric Githens (0-2) 3K, 2 walks (5 inn.)

Jefferson (10-10)
Brent McNeil (SS) Double, 2 RBIs
Tyler Rogers (2B) Single, 2 walks

CROWN POINT (14-5)
Matt Ernest (SS) 2 singles, 2 stolen bases
Adam Quinn (1B) Double, 3 RBIs
Jimmy Wilson (LF-P) Single, RBI
Matt Jansen (LF-P) 2 walks

Thursday, 5-12-2005 - 49 degrees & dry in Crown Point

WP – Adam Quinn (3-2) 7Ks, 5walks, CG
LP – Zach Bohling (2-5) 3K, 4 walks (8 1/3 inn.)

Portage (5-12, 3-9 DAC)
Milt Rivera (OF) Walk, run scored

CROWN POINT (13-5)
Matt Ernest (SS) Single, RBI
Chris Saroff (3B) Double, single RBI
Matt Jansen (1B) 2 singles
Jon Sertich (CF) 2 singles

CROWN POINT, IN (5-13-2005) - “We really needed a sweep this week,” said Crown Point coach Steve Strayer after Friday night's 4-2 victory over visiting Jefferson. We needed to win all three games this week.”

That's what they did. The Bulldogs beat Michigan City 10-0, Portage 2-1 and Jefferson 4-2 Friday in the mist and fog Friday to right the ship after back-to-back losses to Lake Central and Andrean.

“This was a good night for us,” Strayer said. “We played well. Matt (Jansen) got tired there at the end. But we can't always rely on him. Jimmy (Wilson) came in and things didn't go exactly the way he wanted them to, but he made some good pitches and he froze that kid there at the end.”

“That kid was left-handed No. 2 hitter Matt Denis who took a called third strike with the bases loaded to end the game. Wilson's overhand curve ball got the final out on a damp, rainy night against a faraway team from out of town.

“Crown Point's a good team from a good conference,” said Jefferson coach Kevin Maxwell. “I like the way we came from behind. I didn't think we were playing the count very well early in the game. Then, later on we had some good at-bats. We had the tying and go-ahead runs on base. I thought it was a well-played game.”

CP, coming off a 2-1 nine-inning win over Portage, jumped ahead 2-0 on a two-run double by Adam Quinn in the first inning. In the fourth Dave Dickerson doubled and scored on a wild pitch and ground out by Quinn. Jon Sertich's bunt single and Wilson's single to center scored the fourth run.

But Jefferson's Eric Githens (0-2), starting only his second game of the season, combined with junior Heath Riley to shut out CP the rest of the way while the Bronchos, who were coming off of back to back losses to top-ranked Brownsburg (23-0), turned the tide and closed the gap.

Brent McNeil's two-run double in the fifth inning, cut the lead to 4-2 and after Wilson came out of the bullpen to kill a Jefferson rally in the sixth inning, three Jeff hitters drew walks in the seventh inning before Wilson struck out Denis to clinch the win.

“I was glad we got to see a good left-hander,” said Maxwell. “We've got two in our sectional. I thought we did better against him as the game goes on. Githens did better tonight than he did in his first start.”

Jefferson plays in the new Hoosier Crossroads Conference, a league that requires teams to play league foes on back-to-back nights. Jeff played No. 1 Brownsburg on Tuesday and Wednesday before coming to Crown Point on Saturday.”

“In our league,” Maxwell explained. “You have to use your No. 1 and No. 2 back to back. And it helps you. We won the sectional for the first time in 16 years last year and we did it because our number two pitcher had pitched in league games all year.”

“We haven't really had a consistent No. 3 so it was good to see him (Githens) improve.” Jeff plays in a murderous sectional with Kokomo McCutcheon, Harrison, Marion and Avon.

“That's why we want to come up here and play,” said Maxwell. “It doesn't do us any good to play a 1A or a 2A team from our area. I hope we can keep them (CP) on the schedule. We've got a new school opening (Fishers) next year and they're going to be in our conference. We have to play them twice.”

Crown Point recovered from their worst weekend of the year and the Bulldogs still have a shot at a 20-win season, although the schedule hints that's not likely.

“We're 9-3 and we have a chance to tie our conference record,” said Strayer. “When we won the conference title with Valparaiso two years ago, we were 11-3. We can't win the conference but we have a chance to get up there and be elite with those guys. In the Duneland Conference, that's pretty good.”

CP NOTES: Friday's night game was not a big draw. Only 50 people attended the contest in cold damp conditions. Rain much of the day may have left doubt as to whether the game would be played, although Jefferson was not a local draw for Crown Point.

Crown Point hosts Clay (13-6) Wednesday night at 6 p.m. Adam Quinn's complete-game, nine-inning 2-1 win over Portage Thursday may pay big dividends.

“Illinois State was here to look at him,” said coach Steve Strayer. “And they're pretty high on him.” Two weeks before graduation, Quinn, the 6-8 right-hander with almost unlimited potential, is not committed to any college.

CP hosts Clay Wednesday (5-18-2005) at 6 p.m. and there's no story as to how that game got on the schedule. “They were open,” said Strayer, “and we needed a game. It can only help us to play good teams and they're always pretty good. We play (4A No. 7) Evansville North at Terre Haute (the May 21 Terre Haute Invitational). That' s a semistate preparation. We'd see teams just like that. We'll play (4A No. 10 Terre Haute North or Lawrence Central in the second game. Last year we beat Lawrence Central there and they won the state title. No matter what happens, we'll see great teams and that's what we want to do.”

CP also has a season ending game with 4A No. 9 Elkhart Memorial (19-4) in Elkhart on May 27. CP could end up playing five of the present 4A top-10 teams.

The Bulldogs will also meet four 3A teams including No. 1 Andrean, No. 7 Kankakee Valley, No. 9 Griffith and No. 10 Clark, a team CP plays on May 26. The Bulldogs are scheduled to play five games in five days next week.

Junior Nick Ullman missed Thursday's game against Portage due to illness but he was back Friday for the win over Jefferson. After 16 games, Ullman led CP with 23 hits in 52 at bats.

Strayer said that he pitched both Wilson and Jansen in both Tuesday's 10-0 win over Michigan City and Friday's

game with Jefferson to simulate the sectional where a pitcher could be asked to pitch on Tuesday and Friday.

CROWN POINT (14-5) at LaPorte (20-2)

Thursday (5-19-2005) 4:45 p.m. in LaPorte

LaPORTE – The ultimate test of a NW Indiana player is what can you do on the home field of the eight-time state champions. LaPorte defeated Chesterton 12-2 and Valparaiso 11-2 to reach the 20-win mark for the 39^th consecutive year. The Slicers have scored 10 or more runs in six consecutive games, but a lot of where this game goes will be determined Tuesday when LaPorte travels to Lake Central (21-1).

If LaPorte wins, they will be trying to clinch the DAC title with a victory. If they lose, this becomes a meaningless game. Expect LaPorte junior Matt Antos (6-2) to pitch against CP's Matt Jansen (5-1).

The Slicers are a big offensive team batting .400 and averaging 10 runs a game so this will be the ultimate challenge for Jansen, who got a no-decision in 8 1/3 innings of a 3-2 CP win in Crown Point on April 25. If this is a high-scoring game, LaPorte wins. The Bulldogs cannot match them offensively. But Jansen has not allowed more than three runs in any game this year and only one team (Andrean) has scored more than six runs off CP.

This will be the third game in three days for Crown Point and that puts them in a difficult position here. The Bulldogs have a night game the night before against Clay (13-6).

Truthfully, there does not seem a great chance that the Bulldogs will come in here and blow away one of the state's top five teams.

LaPorte does not play the day before and will not have traveled an hour on the bus. This game could mean a lot to them. We'll get to find out if CP is ready for the state tournament.

2005  CROWN POINT (13-5, 9-3)
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 - W, 10-0 

5-12 (Th) PORTAGE at CP - W, 2-1 

5-13 (F) Jefferson at CP - W, 4-2 

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

5-18 (We) South Bend Clay at CP - 6:00 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 15, 2005.