WP - Megahn Gutierrez (9-6) CG, 5K, 1 walk
LP - Jackie Bielfuss (2-5) 4K, 3 walks (3 innings)

PORTAGE (11-6)
Samantha Griffith (C) Double, 2 singles, 3 RBIs
Kari Nugent (OF) 2 walks, single  3 runs scored
Kristen Helmick (OF) 2 doubles, singles, 3 RBIs
 

CROWN POINT (4-28-2007) - To be honest, a Class 4A school should dominate a Class 1A school and that didn't happen when Morgan Township played a sunny day Saturday double-header at Crown Point.  On the other hand, no matter how highly-rated the Class 1A school is, a 4A team should beat a 1A school almost every time they play them.  That did happen. Crown Point, coming off a blowout loss at Portage Friday, played well Saturday, turning back undefeated Morgan twice, 2-0 and 7-2 out behind Crown Point high school.

The Cherokees (8-2) from the small school Porter County Conference (PCC) had faced only 1A and 2A schools in the first month while Crown Point had been battling 4A powerhouses like Chesterton (15-1), Lake Central (13-2) and Lowell (13-3).  Morgan did not crumble defensively, facing a school 10 times its size.  But CP right-handers Taylor Perry (2-0) and Kelsey Rather (6-2) pitched complete game victories.

"We played badly yesterday against Portage and they took advantage of it," said new coach Brett Crutchfield.  "But we played a lot better today.  We left some runners on base today, too, but we got off to better starts and we played two pretty good games.  They (Morgan) are a pretty good team.  They don't make a lot of mistakes."

The 2-0 loss in the first game was Morgan's first loss of the season after an 8-0 start and the Cherokees might have won except for an odd play in the third inning.  Singles by Michelle Madden, Dawn Hewitt and Nicole Jessen filled the bases with one out.  Kristen Payer hit a pop up near second base.  CP's second baseman Allison Adank apparently thought shortstop Jessica Martinez would catch the ball and pulled back from it, letting it drop.

But the base umpire had called the infield fly rule, which meant that the batter, Payer, was out and the runners were to advance at their own risk.  Adank picked up the ball and threw home where CP catcher Katrina Klingenberg tagged out Madden, who apparently thought she had to run because the bases were loaded.

That was all Perry needed.  The tall right-hander struck out five, allowing five singles and no walks.  On offense, CP got power from a surprise source.  Senior right fielder Heather Robison, a notoriously light hitter who bats ninth, drove three long three-base hits to center and left field.  The Crown Point softball field is unusually large, almost 300 feet to the fences.  Robison's RBI triple in the fifth inning would have been a home run in most fields.  This from a player who never hit with power before, not even long outs.

"I've just been working hard," she said later.  "We're working on my hitting in practice and I guess it's paying off."

Crutchfield said, "We've made a couple of minor adjustments in her swing and it paid off today."

The CP coaches also have gotten Kelsey Rather, who was 4-5 with a 1.46 ERA last year, to rely more on changing speeds than velocity.  Rather, who pitched a complete game in game two also didn't know what Morgan's record was before Saturday.

"Actually I didn't know," she said. "I heard they beat Whiting, but I didn't know they were undefeated."

Rather has worked on her change up and the results are showing with a 6-2 record.

"We're coming together as a team," she said after the second game Saturday.  "Our coach is awesome.  It feels good to play now.  I've been working on the change up and the curve ball, too.  I used to turn my hand up (when the ball is thrown) and now I turn it down.  It works a lot better than it did before."

In the second game, Morgan took a 1-0 lead when Jessen lined an inside-the-park homer down the left field line.  CP rallied in the bottom of the third when Aimee Favia lined a triple to right center and scored when Morgan right fielder Hannah Feller made a wild throw.  Allison Adank dropped a single in front of Morgan center fielder Amanda Goetz and Amber Pearce drove an RBI-double over Goetz's head.

Morgan tied the game in the fourth inning on a two-out wild pitch by Rather, but CP went ahead 3-2 on two Morgan errors in the third inning.  In the fifth, a throwing error by Morgan catcher Steph Hamilton on a steal by Pearce allowed the 4-2 run to score and CP scored three times in the sixth to ice the game.

Favia's two run single drove in Lindsey Gurnenz and Kara Gulvas.  Morgan Township filled the bases in the seventh inning, but Rather grabbed a ground ball and started a plate-to-first double play to end the game.

"We got that Portage game behind us," said Crutchfield.  "They played really well.  But we played well today.  Let's see what we do against Lake Central."

BULLDOG NOTES:  Portage (11-6) beat CP 12-2 Friday with a four-run first inning, including a two-run double from senior catcher Sammy Griffith.  Senior right-hander Meghan Gutierrez allowed six hits and a walk in five innings to improve to 9-5 on the season.  Portage defeated the Bulldogs 4-1 on April 4.  The margin of victory was a setback for CP, which had won four in a row coming into the game.

"They played very well and we didn't," said Crutchfield who clearly wanted to look ahead to a week that includes Lake Central (14-3) and Chesterton (15-1)."

Despite two losses Saturday, Morgan (8-2) displayed enough composure to consider the day a partial success considering the competitiveness of play on the day and the difference in size of Morgan (180 students) and Crown Point (2,289) high schools.  For any 1A team to beat a 4A school in team sports is an upset.  But the Cherokees could have as many as 18 games to play in May due to postponements and the PCC tournament.  Crown Point (11-7) had just 10 games to play after Saturday, including non conference games with Morton and Hanover Central.

The difference between freshman Taylor Perry and CP's other varsity freshman pitcher, Jackie Bielfuss, who has also made a quality debut this season, is about a half a foot.  Perry, the sister of senior basketball center Courtney Perry, is at least 5-foot-11.

"She is the prototype of a softball pitcher.  Big and tall," said Crutchfield, who just came to CP this year from Andrean.  "I didn't really know about her either, really.  For a freshman, she's really even keel.  I put her in against Portage (Friday) and they knocked her around a little bit.  She stuck with it.  She stuck with the game plan and didn't let it get to her.  I think she will have an impact here."

Saturday's games were originally-scheduled for 10:00 a.m., but were pushed back so the field could dry in the 70-degree sun.  Crown Point does not have any postponed games to make up.  Some teams are down as many as five games to the weather going into the month of May.

Senior Anna Stephens...

"I'm going to Purdue-North Central.  I'm going to get to play for them.  I'm trying to decide between elementary education and Physical therapy.  The season itself is flying by.  I'm ready to get out of school, but I wish the season was a little longer because we're all coming together now.  I guess things happen for a reason."

On the Lady Bulldogs' hitting this season, "We've all just been working on our swings and I think everyone is getting better. They know what they're doing."

Anna Stephens has been playing softball the last couple of years with an unusual, and painful, back condition.

"I'm doing a lot better with my back.  I have 'fiber migalis.'  I just have to do my Pilates.  Its been much better this year.  I had back problems.  I've gotten used to it and put up with it." 

On what it's like to play with a couple of freshmen pitchers on the varsity, "We just let 'em know we're behind them and encourage them to do what they can do.  Taylor was very nervous today.  We just all tell her that we're all behind her and to do what you've learned.  That's the big thing.  That we're behind her no matter what.  She's really stepping up.  I've never played with players three years younger than me.  Her and Jackie (Bielfuss) both.  It is different."

2007 CROWN POINT (11-7, 5-4 DAC)
Coach Brett Crutchfield  (1st Year) -  DAC games in CAPS  - all games 4:30 unless otherwise indicated

3-27 (L) 1-7  Hobart (9-6)
3-27 (L) 3-7  at New Prairie  (8-4)
4-2 (W) 17-0 (5 innings) at Morton (6-8)
4-3 (W) 2-0 MICHGAN CITY  (1-10)
4-5 (L) 4-2 PORTAGE  (10-5)
4-7 (W)  16-0 West Central (0-11).
4-10 (L) 2-10 LAKE CENTRAL  (15-2)
4-12 (W) 8-2 at VALPARAISO  (2-13)
4-14 (W) 6-1 North Newton (6-5)
4-14 (L) 4-6 (9 innings) Lowell (13-3)
4-16 (L) 0-2 at CHESTERTON (15-1)
4-18 (W) 3-2 (8 innings) at MERRILLVILLE  (4-12)
4-20 (W) 9-3 at LaPORTE  (10-7)
4-21 (W) 7-3 at Elkhart Central (6-9)
4-24 (W) 8-1 at MICHGAN CITY  (1-10)
4-26 (L) 5-12 at PORTAGE  (10-5)
4-28 (W) 2-0 Morgan Township (8-2)
4-28 (W) 7-2 Morgan Township (8-2)

4-30-7 (M) at LAKE CENTRAL  (14-3)
5-2-7 (W) VALPARAISO   (2-13)
5-4-7 (F) CHESTERTON (15-1)
5-5-7 (S) Morton - 10 a.m.
5-8-7 (Tu) MERRILLVILLE
5-10-7 (Th) LaPORTE
5-14-7 (M) at Boone Grove  (9-4)
5-16-7 (W) at (South Bend) Riley
5-18-7 (F) Highland  (9-7)
5-19-7 (S) at Hanover Central  (7-5)

4A Sectional
5-21-7 (M) quarterfinals (TBA)
5-23-7 (W) semifinals (TBA)
5-25-7 (F) championship (TBA)