Bulldogs improve to 3-0 with back to back wins over Lafayette Jefferson and Lake Central

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

4-10-2007

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

Tuesday, 4-10-2007 - 49 degrees, Duneland Athletic Conference in ST. JOHN, IN

WP - Chris Saroff (2-0) 8K, 1 walk (6 innings)
LP - Scott Handley (1-1) 4K, 3 walks (4 2/3 innings)

CROWN POINT (3-0, 1-0)
Jon Sertich (CF) HR, walk, 3 RBIs
Tommy Parks (3B) Double, walk
Mike Kozlowski (DH) Single, walk, RBI
Matt Ernest (SS-P) Double, single, walk
Nick Hladek (C) Double, RBI, 2 stolen bases
Tim Mummery (2B) Single, 2 walks, stolen base

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

WP - Jon Sertich (1-0) 3K, 0 walk (3 innings)
SAVE - Blake Mascarello (CP) 3K, 0 walk (1 inning)
LP - Josh Riley (0-1) 4K, 1 walk (6 innings)

CROWN POINT (2-0)
Jon Sertich (CF-P) Double, singe, 2 runs scored
Tommy Parks (LF) Double, RBI
Matt Ernest (SS) Single, Stolen base
Tim Mummery (2B) Walk, RBI, stolen base

(Lafayette) Jefferson (1-1)
PJ Tyson (C) 2 triples, RBI, run scored

ST. JOHN (4-10-2007) It might have been a game that Crown Point won the night before the game. Since both Lake Central and Crown Point were postponed in tournament action last weekend, the Tuesday Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) opener figured to match two teams that hadn't played in almost a week. Not quite. Crown Point called down to Lafayette and set up a Monday night game with Jefferson, offering to travel the 150 mile round trip to make it happen.

Not only did CP win 3-2 at Jefferson Monday night, they followed it up with a 7-1 win over Lake Central late Tuesday afternoon.

"I called (head coach) Kevin Maxwell from Lafayette Jeff," explained coach Steve Strayer. "And they had some games canceled last weekend, too. So they were open and we were open Monday. We knew we'd come in for a battle here at Lake Central. We'd just played one game so we needed to see a good baseball team. Lafayette Jeff gave us a good game and I really think that helped us tonight."

CP (3-0) was the better team Tuesday. After Lake Central jumped to a 1-0 lead on a single by sophomore Danny Manick, Crown Point rallied on a walk, a double by Tommy Parks and an RBI ground out from CP catcher Nick Hladek, after Blake Mascarello had reached base on a dropped third strike.

The Bulldogs, who left 10 runners on base, stranded two each in the second and third innings while CP senior starting pitcher Chris Saroff was in the process of retiring 13 batters in a row. The game changed with one out in the second when Hladek doubled down the left field line and LC starter Scott Handley walked ninth place Bulldog batter Mike Kozlowski. New leadoff man Jon Sertich hit the first pitch over the left center field fence for a 4-1 lead and things were a lot easier after that.

"I was really trying to focus on taking it to right field," Sertich would say later. "But he put it down the middle and I pulled it."

Sertich is batting leadoff for the first time this season. He's not the most natural leadoff man, but after Tuesday, he may be there awhile.

"He (Strayer) came to me," Jon said, "and he said he wanted to use me like (2006 LaPorte all-stater) Nick Overmeyer. He hit with a lot of power and he got on base. I'm just to hit the gaps and let the 2-3-4 hitters drive me in."

LC's defense let down Handley and relief pitcher Josh Santiago, but Santiago hurt himself with three wild pickoff throws, five walks and a hit batter.

Kozlowski's RBI single after two fifth inning errors made it 6-1 and two runs scored later on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Lake Central didn't look good in the late innings, but a lot of the damage was self-inflicted and the flaws correctable.

Coach Todd Iwema knows it's early in the season and his very young team is playing irregularly due to the weather.

"We've just got to keep battling," Iwema said. "When we're starting four or five or six sophomores, the only thing I talk to them about is that we need to understand we have to fight for the whole game. That will come. The way we started tonight, I was pleased. They (CP) are one of the best teams in the DAC. We lost almost every starter. We decided we're gong to go young and by the end of the season, we'll be fine."

"Their first run came off a throw over the first baseman's head on a dropped third strike. If we'd stop doing those things, we'll be a lot better off. Our kids play good baseball, but it's going to be a learning process for them all year understanding the pressures of playing in the Duneland Conference."

Crown Point was not good offensively or defensively in the games against Jeff and LC. Catcher Nick Hladek was charged with three passed balls against Jeff and CP had two infield errors. The Bulldogs left 10 runners on base against LC and Saroff, while effective, seemed to be laboring.

"I thought Saroff got behind in the count a lot," said Strayer. "He had to reach down for other pitches because they're a fastball hitting team. At the plate, we had a hard time adjusting to what he (Handley) was doing. Jon made the adjustment and we're all going to have to do that a little quicker if we want to have a chance to win the conference."

This particular group of Crown Point players always appears to be low key, almost to a fault. But it may serve them well this month when it seems they're destined to wait out some weather postponements. So far, CP is 3-0 against the opposition but just 3-3 against the weatherman. Bad weather was predicted for the rest of the week.

DOG NOTES: Crown Point coach Steve Strayer gave the Bulldog athletic department an assist for CP's victory over Lake Central Tuesday.

"Bill Dorulla (CP's athletic director) made the phone call and got the busses set up and we were very appreciative of that. It got us ready for tonight."

Sertich had two hits Monday night in the 3-2 win and junior left-hander Blake Mascarello struck out the side in the seventh inning to save the game in his season debut. Junior Mike Kozlowski started the game and allowed one run in three innings.

Jon Sertich, who had four hits in his first three games as a leadoff man, admits he might not be the worlds' best leadoff batter. Are you a good bunter?

"I'm Okay, I guess," he said Monday. How about taking pitches? "Not really," he says. "I don't like to walk. You can probably tell that."

Strayer says, "I like his mentality at the plate. He really outs it all out on the field. He's got a lot of energy and we need that. But, who knows, in a week we may change our minds on that."

Lake Central truthfully returns only two players, shortstop AJ Doyle and second baseman Troy Russell, from last year's 19-8 team.

"Eric Summers won't be a surprise to anyone," said varsity head coach Todd Iwema. "He's obviously going to be a pretty good pitcher."

Lake Central drove down to the southern part of the state last weekend to play 2A No. 1 North Posey and two other teams, only to have the games canceled by the cold weather. We were 18 minutes outside of Evansville and North Posey called us. We were scheduled to play at 6 p.m. and that's what the problem was. It was only getting to get colder. We went to Mt. Vernon the next day. We're pulling up and we see a sign on a bank that says eight degrees."

They were going to play. That was the nice thing. They would have played. But, as soon as I said, 'Are you sure?' They said, 'No, let's call it off.'"

CROWN POINT (3-0, 1-0)
23-9 in 2006 - DAC game in CAPS

4-3-7 (W) 14-0 (5 innings) Hebron (0-3)

Kankakee Valley Invitational
4-7-7 vs. Knox (cold-canceled)
4-7-7 vs. Kankakee Valley (cold-canceled)
4-9-7 (W) 3-2 at (Lafayette) Jefferson (1-1)
4-10-7 (W) 8-1 at LAKE CENTRAL (1-2)

4-12-7 (Th) VALPARAISO - 4:30 p.m.
4-13-7 (F) vs. Rensselaer (5 p.m.) at US Steelyard - Gary
4-14-7 (S) vs. Griffith - 10 a.m.
4-16-7 (M) CHESTERTON (3-0) 4:30 p.m.
4-18-7 (W) MERRILLVILLE (4-1) 4:30 p.m.
4-20-7 (F) LaPORTE (5-1) 4:30 p.m.
4-21-7 (S) Harrison - 2:30 p.m.
4-24-7 (Tu) at MICHIGAN CITY - 4:30 p.m.
4-26-7 (Th) at PORTAGE - 4:30 p.m.
5-28-7 (S) at Highland (3-1)
4-30-7 (M) LAKE CENTRAL - 4:30 p.m.
5-2-7 (W) at VALPARAISO - 4:30 p.m.
5-4-7 (F) at CHESTERTON - 4:30 p.m.

Plymouth Invitational
5-5-7 (S) vs. Carroll or Penn - semifinals (a.m.)
5-5-7 (S) 3rd place or championship (p.m.)

5-8-7 (Tu) at MERRILLVILLE - 4:30 p.m.
5-10-7 (Th) at LaPORTE - 4:30 p.m.
5-11-7 (F) Boone Grove - 7 p.m.
5-15-7 (Tu) MICHIGAN CITY - 4:30 p.m.
5-17-7 (Th) PORTAGE - 4:30 p.m.

Crown Point Classic
5-19-7 (S) 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