Crown Point rallies for 7-2 win at Highland behind Jansen's 10 strikeouts in Bulldog season opener

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

4-7-2005

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

Wednesday, 4-6-2005 - 47 degrees in Highland

WP – Matt Jansen (1-0) 10K, 6 walks, one earned run, 109 pitches – 6 innings

Chris Sarhoff (CP) 0K, 2 walks (1 inning)

LP – Greg Kraly (1-1) 4K, 4 walks (5 2/3 inn.)
0 earned runs, 74 pitches

CP (1-0) 5 singles, 2 doubles, 5 W, 6 Ks, 2/3 steals
Matt Ernest (CP) Double, 2 RBIs, stolen base
Adam Quinn (CP) 2 singles, 2 RBIs
Matt Jansen (CP) Double, single, run scored
Dave Dickerson (CP) 3 walks, run scored
Chris Sarhoff (CP) Single, RBI

Highland (3-3) Double, single, 8W, 10 Ks, 1/1 steals
Bobby Weishar (H) Double
Jon Velasco (H) 2 walks
Paul Sink (H) 3 walks
Kyle Ruebel (H) Sac Fly, RBI
Greg Kraly (H) 2 walks, run scored

CROWN POINT (4-6-2005) - It wasn't a great win and, it wasn't as dominant as the 7-2 final score would indicate.

But, for a team that has a lot of new players in a lot of new positions, Crown Point headed for home on a happy bus after the 2005 season opener late Thursday afternoon.

The Bulldogs' pitching, speed and defense overcame weak hitting and low-caliber base running as CP rallied for seven runs in the final three innings to beat Highland to start the season.

“We've got a lot of things to work on,” said third year coach Steve Strayer. “We've got so many things to talk about. We play Valparaiso (DAC opener) Tuesday. That's what we have to get ready for.”

But it's good to have a winning record while you're working on weaknesses. And CP can thank a half dozen boys for boosting the Bulldogs over the top in wind-chilled 47-degree weather on the Highland athletic complex.

Left-hander Matt Jansen carried a no-hit game into the sixth inning, but he trailed until sophomore Matt Ernest sliced a hard line drive that eluded charging right fielder Paul Sink for a two run double, breaking a 1-1 tie.

Ernest, who started half the season at shortstop as a freshman, began this contest but was not batting. Senior Jimmy Wilson was the designated hitter. It was ironic that Ernest had the game-winning hit.

“We're going to move Matt up to No. 2 in the order in our next game,” said Strayer. “We're just rotating people around right now to find out where they should be. And the people who take the bat off their shoulders will be the ones who will bat.”

Strayer was unhappy because CP struck out to end the fourth, sixth and seventh innings, two of them called third strikes.

“People standing there taking strikes,” said Strayer. “I can't handle that. When you play baseball, the fun thing to do is hit the ball with men on base. And you can't hit when you stand there.”

CP broke the game open with a four-run seventh inning. Adam Quinn, whose third inning error gave Highland a 1-0 lead, sliced a two-run single to right field to make it 6-2 after a bases-loaded wild pitch by relief pitcher J.D. Fabian scored CP soph Chris Sarhoff.

The seventh run scored when Fabian fired an attempted pickoff throw past first base, allowing Quinn to score.

“We had five errors today,” said longtime Highland coach Dan Miller. “We started two freshman. Their pitcher (Jansen) did a good job but it was a game we could have won.

This was our sixth game and it was their first. That should have been to our advantage. I don't know if we gave up in that last inning or not. That's what I didn't like about it.”

CP had tied the game 1-1 on a bloop single by Sarhoff after two Highland errors in the fifth inning. Four of the seven Crown Point runs were unearned and walks led to both Highland tallies. The Bulldogs had two runners picked off base.

CP plays the top four Class 4A teams in the state (No. 1 Lake Central, No. 3 LaPorte and No. 4 Elkhart Memorial) a total of five times. CP also faces 3A No. 1 Andrean and 3A No. 5 Griffith. The Bulldogs (1-0) know they won't win many more games playing the way they did Thursday.

“I was proud of our defense,” said Strayer. “We made one blunder at first base, but other than that we were pretty strong. We've got to swing the bat. They know that. Hopefully we learn from today and get better.”

BULLDOG NOTES: Crown Pint will be an exciting team to watch in 2005 because they will want to and have to run the bases to score. Lead off man Nick Ullman, Chris Sarhoff, Dave Dickerson, Jon Sertich and Matt Ernest all have above average speed.

Coach Steve Strayer, who played a base stealing, gambling style when he coached at Boone Grove in the 1990s, appears set to bring that style to CP after inheriting a couple of successful, but relatively slow teams.

Strayer says his four starters will be seniors Adam Quinn and Jimmy Wilson, junior Matt Jansen and sophomore Matt Ernest, who will be making his varsity pitching debut.

Sophomore Chris Sarhoff pitched the final inning, and while he did not allow a run, he walked two.

“The funny thing is,” said Strayer, “in our workouts, control was his strength.”

On CP's opening day roster, the Bulldogs had six sophomores. Of those, only infielder Tommy Parks and outfielder Joe Patrick did not play against Highland.

This was always supposed to be a significant baseball class. In 2001, CP's 12-and-under all-stars, with four of the present varsity sophomores (Parks, Patrick, Matt Ernest and Tim Mummery), advanced to the Little League state finals, losing 7-5 to eventual Midwest Regional champion Brownsburg. Present-day sophs Jon Sertich and Chris Sarhoff were a year ahead of the other four in 2001 and were Babe Ruth 13-year-old all-stars.

CP has only three juniors on the 2005 roster in the starting battery of pitcher Matt Jansen and catcher Adam Kennedy plus Andrean-transfer Nick Ullman, a CP native.

The Bulldogs traditionally had opened the season with Hammond high and some schedules still listed Hammond as the opener. Hammond was not competitive with CP (the final score was 35-0 last year) and has been dropped from the schedule. 4A No. 4 Elkhart Memorial replaces Hammond.

Coming up...

Valparaiso at Crown Point

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 -- 4:30 p.m.

CROWN POINT (4-12-2005) The Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) opener for both teams. Valpo lost 4-3 to 4A No. 4 Elkhart Memorial and 12-11 to Munster to start the year.

Those are not bad losses. Valparaiso, like CP is a sophomore dominated team (they have just one senior) and pitcher-infielders Nate Windsor and Chooch Sizemore will be familiar to CP's sophs from lower levels of play.

CP left-hander Matt Jansen, who struck out 10 in the 7-2 season opening win over Highland, should draw Valparaiso right-hander Clint Krysa (8-4, 3.10 ERA in 2004) in the first of 14 league games.

Both teams have talent but are unpredictable.

Crown Point at Hebron

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 -- 4:30 p.m.

HEBRON (4-13-2005) The Hawks split their first four games with a 4-0 win over North Newton behind 6-4 right-hander Mike Yankauskas, who later walked seven in a 14-4 loss to Portage.

New coach Eric Quale has lifted the program, and with catcher Andrew Stalbaum and second baseman Ryan Carden (.430 last season), the Hawks can finish in the top half of the Porter County Conference.

Barring a rain out, this could be the slot for sophomore Matt Ernest's varsity debut as a pitcher, as the Bulldogs have DAC league games the next day and the previous day. Ernest pitching will move sophomore third baseman Chris Sarhoff to shortstop for the first time this season and punch in soph Tommy Parks at third base for his varsity debut.

Senior outfielder Shane Wentz may also get a chance here. the Bulldogs have four games in five days and they must play the bench.

Chesterton at Crown Point

Thursday, April 14, 2005 -- 4:30 p.m.

CROWN POINT (4-14-2005) This is a tough hitting team that will test CP pitchers. The Trojans, who were 19-9 last year, feature first baseman Casey Martin, who batted .494 with five homers and 23 RBI.

Chesterton has 10 seniors back, but few pitchers. So this figures to be a slug fest, unless CP's Adam Quinn or Jimmy Wilson (the probable starters) come out strong.

This will be the Bulldogs' fifth game in seven days, so there's no practice time this week. We'll get to see who is fundamentally sound in this stretch because there's little time to correct mistakes.

Crown Point at Griffith

Saturday, April 16, 2005 – 10 a.m.

GRIFFITH (4-16-2005) A major non conference game and a pitching problem for Crown Point, which has Class 4A No. 1 Lake Central coming up on April 19. So Matt Jansen can't pitch and the starting pitcher from Wednesday and Thursday won't be able to go. I'm not sure who CP's No. 5 pitcher is and good luck to him against all-state candidate Jim Swienconek (.447, 7 Hrs, 37 RBIs last year) and the sophomore duo of Matt Kuna and Ryan Bridges (.397), who have played against CP's six sophomores at lower levels.

The Panthers face 3A No. 1 Andrean on Wednesday, April 20 but whoever goes Saturday morning can come back Wednesday evening. This is the kind of test both teams want on the non conference slate and, with second line pitching, the scoreboard will light up in this one.

2005 CROWN POINT (1-0, 0-0)
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 at Kankakee Valley - 10 a.m.

4-12 (Tu) VALPARAISO at CP - 4:30 p.m.

4-13 (W) Hebron at CP - 4:30 p.m.

4-14 (Th) CHESTERTON at CP - 4:30 p.m.

4-16 (S) Griffith at CP - 10 a.m.

4-18 (M) CP at LAKE CENTRAL 4:30 p.m.

4-20 (W) CP at MICHIGAN CITY - 4:30 p.m.

4-22 (F) PORTAGE vs. CROWN POINT at the Steelyard - Gary - 5 p.m.

4-23 (S) Andrean at CP - 11 a.m.

4-25 (M) Crown Point at Rensselaer - 5 p.m.

4-26 (Tu) MERRILLVILLE at CP - 4:30 p.m.

4-28 (Th) LaPORTE at CP - 4:30 p.m.

4-30 (S) Crown Point at Gavit - 10 a.m.

5-2 (M) CP at VALPARAISO - 4:30 p.m.

5-4 (W) CP at CHESTERTON 4:30 p.m.

5-6 (F) LAKE CENTRAL at CP - 7 p.m.

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