Bulldogs find ways to win in extra innings over Merrillville, LaPorte, improve to 19-1 record

Saturday, 5-05-2007 Plymouth Invitational Championship in Plymouth, IN

CROWN POINT (5-10-2007) -  The problem with being the state's top-ranked team is that every game seems like a crusade.  You struggle through hardship, perhaps travel great distance, surviving hardship and passionate forces of opposition to reach the promised land.  Then, the next day you come back and do it again.  Such is the life for the Crown Point Bulldogs.

For the second consecutive game Thursday, CP trailed early and led late.  They played through mistakes and broke a 2-2 tie with a ninth inning rally, this time to turn back tradition-rich LaPorte 5-2 in a 2-1/2 hour battle worthy of late season Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) play.

Senior Tim Mummery drove a bases-loaded double to the base of the left center field fence, breaking a relatively well-played deadlock and allowing CP to clinch a tie for the 2007 DAC championship.  If the Bulldogs can defeat either sub.-500 Michigan City or Portage next week, they will win the schools' first undisputed DAC baseball championship.

"I thought we battled tonight," said coach Steve Strayer, who was much happier than he was after CP's 8-3, 9-inning win at Merrillville two nights earlier.  "The other night we were just very, very flat.  And we can't come out like that because you lose a little confidence.  At this point, it's tough to get it back."

LaPorte, the perennial super power of Indiana baseball with 40 consecutive 20-win seasons, was the final stumbling block for Crown Point's DAC championship and they were down 1-0 after Tyler Overmeyer's first inning RBI single against Ernest, who threw 120 pitches in seven innings.  Ernest, having his best season, lined an RBI double to left center field to tie the game with two out in the third inning against big right-hander Ian Nielsen (5-1), who threw 130 pitches in nine innings.

CP took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when Jon Sertich singled, stole second and scored on Ernest's second hit, a soft RBI single to right.

But LaPorte tied the game in the bottom of the seventh, to the delight of a crowd of about 150 fans in the setting sun at the LaPorte baseball complex.  Dustin DeMuth, the youngest brother of Highland basketball stars Julie and Jenny DeMuth, walked on a 3-2 pitch before Ernest struck out Wyatt Warren for the second out.  The third strike to Warren was a dropped third strike and DeMuth reached second base.  On a 1-1 pitch, leadoff man Kyle Rosenbaum slapped a two-out single to center to tie the game and keep everybody in their seats for another extra inning game.

"We talk about that before the game," Strayer joked.  "Baseball is meant to be nine innings.  We're doing that on purpose.  It gets us more innings and more game situations.  We want to go between eight and 10 innings in every game.  Against LaPorte, every game for us seems to be tight."

The Slicers (14-7) had two runners picked off base by Ernest which certainly contributed to their loss.  But LaPorte coach Scott Upp went into why he pulled Nielsen off the mound when he did.  A single and walk brought in senior Mike Walls, who took the loss in LaPorte's 9-4 loss at Crown Point in April.  Walls walked Matt Ernest and gave up the three-run double to Mummery.

"What we looked at," said Upp, "was how Ernest had swung the bat against him three times.  He had a double and single.  Walls doesn't throw as hard.  We thought we'd change up.  But then he walks Ernest and Mummery gets him.  Ian did an excellent job.  It was an awesome effort on his part."

Strayer twice walked LaPorte shortstop Brad Philips to get to Ian Nielsen, a .450 hitter last season.

Philips is 5-for-6 against us," explained Strayer.  "It's a good question but Ernest told us that he's tried everything on him (Phillips) and he still hits the ball hard."

Upp noted, "Usually Ian will get you once in a game but it worked for them."

Still, the game would have gone on longer if Mummery hadn't finally hit one hard with men on base.  The Bulldogs have been experiencing some offensive problems, but they'd been finding a way to win.

"You can go 0-for-3," said Strayer, "and you can have three strikeouts but nobody's going to come up with that if you get the game-winning hit.  He (Mummery) did a nice job.  We didn't play good baseball today but the kids battled to get a win.  It gives us at least a share of the conference championship."

DOG NOTES:  Mike Kozlowski suffered an injury before the Merrillville game when he was struck by a baseball in the face.  Kozlowski, who had played several position for CP, suffered from some double vision and missed games against Merrillville, LaPorte and Boone Grove.

"I think we'll get him back," said coach Steve Strayer.  "He's feeling better and I think we'll have him back in a week and a half."

Kozlowski, arguably the top player in CP's sophomore class, has 16 hits in 37 at bats (.432) and he has pitched 19-1/3 innings with a 2.17 ERA and 15 strikeouts and six walks.

LaPorte will play its first home night game ever on May 22 against Clark.  The light towers have already been erected although they are not operating yet.  A second night game is scheduled for May 25 against Lowell.

CROWN POINT (19-1, 11-1 DAC)
Varsity Coach Steve Strayer, 23-9 in 2006  - DAC game in CAPS

4-3 (W)  14-0 (5 innings) Hebron (3-6)

Kankakee Valley Invitational
4-7 vs. Knox (cold-canceled)
4-7 vs. Kankakee Valley (cold-canceled)

4-9 (W) 3-2 at (Lafayette) Jefferson (13-6)
4-10 (W) 8-1 at LAKE CENTRAL (10-10)
4-13 (W) 12-0 (5 innings) Rensselaer (2-2)
4-14 (W) 4-3 VALPARAISO (10-9-1)
4-14 (W) 10-5 Griffith (16-7)
4-16 (W) 2-1 CHESTERTON (13-4) 
4-18 (W) 9-1 MERRILLVILLE (10-10) 
4-20 (W) 9-4 LaPORTE (15-7)
4-21 (S) Harrison (canceled)

4-24 (W) 8-1 at MICHIGAN CITY (7-12) 
4-26 (W) 4-1 at PORTAGE (5-5) 4:30 p.m.
4-28  (W) 16-2 (5 innings) at Highland (3-1)
4-28 (W) 3-2 Kankakee Valley (14-10)
4-30 (W) 10-0 (5 innings)  LAKE CENTRAL (10-10)
5-2  (W) at VALPARAISO (10-9-1)
5-4 (L) 2-3 at CHESTERTON (13-4)

Plymouth Invitational
5-5 (W) 8-2 Carroll (16-2)
5-5 (W) 11-1 Penn (14-6)

5-8 (W) 8-3 ( 9 innings) at MERRILLVILLE (10-10).
5-10 (W) 5-2 (9 innings) at LaPORTE (15-7) .
5-11 (L) 1-7 Boone Grove (14-2-1)

5-15-7 (Tu) MICHIGAN CITY - 4:30 p.m.
5-17-7 (Th) PORTAGE - 4:30 p.m.

Crown Point Classic (with Riley, Northridge and HC)
5-19-7 (S) vs. Heritage Christian (a.m.)
5-19-7 (S) 3rd place or championship (p.m.)

5-22-7 (Tu) Lowell - 4:30 p.m.
5-25-7 (F) at Elkhart Memorial - 7 p.m.

Crown Point (4A) Sectional
5-29-7 (M) quarterfinals
6-2-7 (F) semifinals
6-3-7 (S) championship