Lady Bulldogs 'play well' in 10-0, 5-inningshutout win over North Newton

A USA-365 special report by Mark Smith

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
North Newton (0-1)	0	0	0	0	0	-	-	0	1	0
CROWN POINT (1-1)	5	0	4	0	1	-	-	10	11	3

March 31, 2005, 57 degrees at Crown Point, IN

WP – Missy Ferrara (1-0), 8K, 1 walk (3 innings)

Shelly Kurcz (CP) 3K, 1 walk (2 innings)

LP – Rae Elijah (0-1), CG, 2K, 1 walk (7 earned runs)

NORTH NEWTON (0-1)

Alyssa Gonzalez – Single

Tara Williamson – Walk

Kristen Miller - Walk

CROWN POINT (1-1)

Kaitlyn Rather – 3 singles, 5 RBIs

Heather Robison – 2 singles, 2 RBIs

Lauren Mishevich – 2 singles, RBI

Allison Adank – Single, RBI

Alicia Rock – Single, 2 runs scored

CROWN POINT (3-31-2005) - Since North Newton was not a strong opponent, Crown Point not only needed to beat them Thursday out behind the new high school, the Bulldogs needed to play very well in doing it.

After a 10-3 season-opening loss to Hobart, Crown Point got things headed in the right direction Thursday with a 10-0, five-inning win over the Spartans.

“We played well,” said coach Jim Ingelhart. “I don't think we made an error. We needed to play well and we did.”

The Bulldogs, who made nine errors against Hobart, got the start they needed when senior pitcher Missy Ferrara (1-0) struck out Kristen Miller on three pitches with two on and two out in the top of the first inning.

Crown Point took over from there. Four consecutive one-out singles by Lauren Stovall, Lauren Mishevich, Alicia Rock and Heather Robison gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead after a leadoff walk to sophomore Anna Stephens.

CP's Katie Markstein grounded out to third base, but Bulldog catcher Kaitlyn Rather slammed a single to left to make it 5-0 after just eight batters.

Ferrara followed the strikeout of Miller with six more, striking out the side in the second and third innings. The bottom of the North Newton order was understandably over matched at the plate against the CP senior.

Ingelhart then made a move which may pay dividends down the road. He pulled Ferrara for Shelly Kurcz, CP's most experienced starter, who had committed four throwing errors in the Hobart game. Kurcz pitched two scoreless innings and made a perfect throw to first base after a ground out in the fifth inning, to the exaggerated cheers of her teammates.

The eleven hits was very encouraging to Ingelhart, who saw his team shut out in one third of its games in 2004.

“Remember last year,” he asked, “when we faced a slower pitcher? We'd eventually hit them, but it would be foul ball. Foul ball. Foul ball. This year, I think we've got much better timing at the plate.”

“Last year a couple of weeks from now we were begging for hits. I think we'll be a better hitting team up and down the lineup.”

North Newton, an independent, must take games where they can get them and they were over matched against a school six times their size.

“We're a young team right now just trying to make it work,” said third-year coach Rande Bielenberg. “We knew they'd be on us today after I heard they'd lost to Hobart on Tuesday. We have only four players returning from last year. The rest are freshmen and sophomores.”

The CP coaches tried not to make too much of this game, knowing that the outcome, while hoped for, was what CP should do to a Class 2A school.

But Ingelhart also knows he's got only two seniors and four juniors out of 28 varsity and junior varsity players.

“We needed this,” he said. “We've got a lot of tough games ahead of us.”

UP NEXT...

Crown Point at Morton

Monday, April 4 – 4:40 p.m.

HAMMOND (4-4-2005) Morton lost four starters off last year's team and they may not have a pitcher who can shut down the opposition, if the season-opening 9-6 loss to Calumet is any indication.

This is a game that CP needs to win with the starting pitcher, Melissa Ferrera (1-0) or Wendy Kurcz (0-1), taking control from the start. Kurcz pitched much better in the 10-3 season opening loss than the score indicated as all 10 runs were unearned.

Senior SS Lauren Mishevich was 5-for-5 in the first two games and that streak could continue here.

Crown Point at Merrillville

DAC - Tuesday, April 5 – 4:30 p.m.

MERRILLVILLE (4-6-2005) The first big test for CP as the Pirates will start sophomore Amy Vargas, who pitched a seven-inning perfect game against the Bulldogs last year. The Pirates lost the season opener 4-0 to Griffith before beating Lake Station 7-2 on Thursday (3-31-2005).

The Pirates only had four base hits in that game and their offense is a major question. This is probably one of those games that will be won by any team that can put two runs ahead. Young teams have trouble rallying against experienced pitchers.

Merrillville won 2-out-of-3 from CP last year and this is a game both teams probably think is pivotal to the entire conference season.

Crown Point at LaPorte

Thursday, April 7 – 4:30 p.m.

LaPORTE (4-7-2005) LaPorte was just 3-26 last season so this is a must game for CP. The Slicers played in the St. Joseph's Valley summer league last year in an effort to get better but it cannot happen overnight.

Sophomore pitcher Bre Smith pitched 91 innings last season and junior Amanda Lindsey tossed 31 innings. The top hitter is C-SS Mandy Hindsley, who bated .324 last season. LaPorte expected a slow start because they have no indoor facility as CP does. LaPorte started five freshman last season and they may start at least one freshman pitcher this year, although no impact pitcher appears to be on the roster from early reports.

The problem with playing at LaPorte is the hour drive to get there. If you're not ready, you can start slowly. LaPorte needs a confidence-building win and they're looking at CP's 8-20 record last year and hoping Thursday is the day.

CP NOTES: Coach Jim Ingelhart is very high on the 1-2 slots in his order with sophomore leadoff batter Anna Stephens and freshman No. 2 hitter Allison Adank, who bat in front of veterans Lauren Stovall and Lauren Mishevich.

“Anna is really fast,” said Ingelhart. She's very athletic. Allison runs like a deer. She's left-handed and she can put the ball in play. Lauren Stovall is just a junior. That could be the top of our lineup for awhile.”

Junior Katie Markstein, who made her varsity debut Thursday as the 'DP' or designated player, has an interesting athletic background.

“I had a girl who played freshman football for me a couple of years ago,” said Ingelhart. “That's her. She was a wide receiver. She's pretty tough.”

2004 graduate Melissa Cooper, who is playing at St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, was back in CP to watch the game last week. Cooper and Hanover Central's Krystina Davis are freshmen at St. Joe's and have been used largely as pinch runners and defensive replacements.

St. Joe's plays the University of Indianapolis Thursday in Rensselaer at 3 p.m. Indianapolis starts Lindsey Mishevich at third base, the older sister of CP shortstop Lauren Mishevich.

Crown Point hosts West Central Saturday at 11 a.m. before road games at Valparaiso Tuesday and at Chesterton Thursday.