A USA-365 special report by Mark Smith
4-20-2009
| Team (Record) / Inning | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| LOWELL (7-3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| CROWN POINT (6-1) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | - | 3 | 7 | 1 |
Saturday, April 18, 2009 - 69-degrees at CROWN POINT, IN
WP - Taylor Perry
(3-0) CG, 12 K, 2 walks
LP - Jacki Fletcher
(3-2) CG, 2K, 3 walks
LOWELL (7-3)
Jacki Fletcher (P)
1-for-3
Lauren Wells (1B)
0-for-3
Megan Bolanowski (SS)
1-for-3
Nicole Sgouroudis (CF)
0-for-3
Nina Ioakimidis (C)
0-for-2, walk
Katherine Allert (3B)
0-for-2, walk
Amanda Underwood (RF)
1-for-3
Stevie Schilling (LF)
0-for-3
Brittany Carlson (DP)
0-for-1
Jessica Schiessle
(DP-2B) 0-for-1
Lauren Corning (DP)
0-for-1
CROWN POINT (6-1)
Allison Amodeo (RF)
0-for-2, walk
Gabrielle Raspopovich
(CF) 0-for-3
Jessica Martinez (2B)
1-for-3, double, RBI
Taylor Perry (P)
2-for-3, HR, RBI
Katrina Klingberg (C)
1-for-3
Jackie Beilfuss (DP)
0-for-3
Kara Gulvas (3B)
0-for-0, 2 walks, sac
bunt
Jessica Palm (SS)
1-for-3, RBI
Tori Connelly (LF)
1-for-3
| Team (Record) / Inning | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Hobart (2-6) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| CROWN POINT (7-1) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | - | 10 | 12 | 0 |
Saturday,
April 18, 2009 - 69-degrees at CROWN POINT,
IN
WP -
Jackie Beilfuss (3-1)
CG, 15K, 0 walks
(perfect game)
LP - Jaclyn Sandilla
(1-3) CG, 5K, 3 walks
Hobart (2-6)
Michelle Miller (RF)
0-for-2
Amanda Coons (LF)
0-for-2
Abby Adams (SS) 0-for-2
Sarah Adams (C) 0-for-2
Caitlin Smith (DP)
0-for-2
Amanda Roark (CF)
0-for-2
Lindsey McClellan (1B)
0-for-2
Taylor Wilson (3B)
0-for-2
Ashley Oliver (2B)
0-for-2
CROWN POINT (7-1)
Allison Amodeo (RF)
1-for-3, walk
Gabrielle Raspopovich
(CF) 1-for-3, 2 runs
scored
Jessica Martinez (2B)
1-for-3, double, 2 RBIs
Taylor Perry (DP)
1-for-3
Katrina Klingberg (C)
2-for-3, walk, 4 RBIs
Jackie Beilfuss (P)
1-for-2, double, RBI,
sac bunt
Jessica Palm (SS)
0-for-2
Maria Karas (3B)
1-for-2, walk
Katrina Kuiper (LF)
1-for-3
Kelly Maddalone (DP)
0-for-1
Lexie Rolff (2B) 0-for-1
Morgan Faso (PH)
1-for-1, RBI
Raeanna (Lulu) Jenks
(SS) 0-for-1
CROWN POINT (4-18-2009) When coach Brett Crutchfield came to Crown Point three years ago, this must've been the kind of day he imagined. The Lady Bulldogs won a close one against one of the state's Top-20 big school teams in the morning and then dominated a sectional foe after lunch. CP's 3-0 win over Lowell and a 10-0 six-inning blanking of Hobart might have been the school's finest softball day since the 2004 sectional championship.
Junior right-hander Taylor Perry pitched a three-hit shutout and hit a long home run to beat Lowell in the first game, while Jackie Beilfuss retired all 18 batters to face her for a perfect game against Hobart.
"We did a really good job today," said Crutchfield. "Taylor pitched a great game. The defense was there behind her. Lowell is always going to put the bat on the ball, but we made the plays behind her. That's a quality win over a great program."
"I'm so excited," said Beilfuss, who also pitched a complete game Thursday in a 6-1 win over LaPorte (7-1). "Taylor and I are working together so well. At the start of the season, I didn't know how we'd do. We had so many young players. But everybody's stepping up. It's a different person on offense everyday."
The win over Lowell was significant not so much for what CP did, but for what they did not do. The Bulldogs scored on Jessica Martinez' RBI double in the third-inning and on Taylor Perry's home run in the sixth. A third run scored on an RBI single by Jessica Palm. But CP didn't make enough errors to get Lowell back in the game. Even when the Devils put two runners on base in the sixth and three more on base in the seventh.
"In the past we'd have found a way to give it away," Crutchfield said. "But Taylor is a dominant player. I don't know if it's improvement or just getting comfortable. She's comfortable in everything she does. She's comfortable at the plate and she's comfortable on the mound. She makes plays when she wants to."
Perry (3-0, 0.00 ERA, 31 strikeouts in 21 innings), the six foot tall right hander, struck out 12, walked two (both in the seventh inning) and allowed three singles. At the plate, she was 2-for-3. Not only has she not allowed an earned run as a pitcher, Perry also is 11-for-21 (.524) at the plate in the early going with two homers and nine RBIs. Crutchfield has helped a lot of CP girls improve at the plate, but he reports that Perry has her own batting coach.
"I tweak a couple of things when I see them. She had a tough game the other day against LaPorte. But she has a coach who basically designed a swing for her body size. A lot of traditional softball things do not work with her. I didn't have a lot to do with it, but I'd like to thank him if I ever meet him."
"I've just practiced with him," Perry explains. "It's been about a year now. His name is Jan Caruso. He's not with any batting school. He just works with me to extend my arms. I have to hit the ball out in front of the plate. The home run (today), I just got an inside pitch and I was able to hit it."
"Lowell's a good team," Perry said. "We just all played well today."
Lowell is a good hitting team, but coach Pete Iussig says that he'd like to see more of that.
"I think we're going to hit, but I haven't really seen that yet," he admits. "We had a couple of threats, but no timely hits today. Pitching will stop good hitting, but I've got to say, we haven't really hit yet, so I don't know if we're that good."
The Devil's pitching staff has six shutouts, but they have been shutout now 1-0 by Boone Grove, 2-0 at Andrean and 3-0 at Crown Point. When you outscore the opposition 40-8 through 10 games and you still have three losses, it's hard to be overly happy with it.
"Today was the first time somebody's scored three on us. They (CP) got three runs but they hit the ball hard. I told them that's the hardest somebody's hit the ball against us. WE made a great play in center field and they had a couple of hard hit balls that we caught. I was really impressed with them."
"We'd never faced her (Perry) before. I thought we'd catch up to her and obviously, we didn't do anything the first time through the order. We put the bat on the ball, but we didn't sting it or anything like that. That's going to happen. We've got to just keep hanging in there."
CP NOTES: 'The 'Four Class' Challenge at Crown Point won't actually be a four class challenge next Saturday (4-25-2009) because CP couldn't get a 1A team to play. The Bulldogs will hosts 3As South Bend St. Joseph's, Andrean and 2A power Hanover Central. Crown Point will take on St. Joseph's in what is probably a first time ever meeting at 10:00 a.m. The Lady Bulldogs (7-1) play undefeated Hanover Central (4-0) at approximately 12 noon and they'll host Andrean (8-2) in a game that figures to start at about 2:00 p.m.
Andrean lost 1-0 to undefeated Catholic rival Mishawaka Marian (7-0) in the championship game of the Dowagiac (Michigan) Invitational last Saturday. In a pool play game, the 59ers defeated Unity Christian of Hudsonville, Michigan 1-0 in 18 innings. Andrean junior right hander Alyssa Moseley struck out 24 to get the win, but she was understandably unable to pitch more than one inning in the championship game.
This will be the debut of Crown Point's own softball tournament. Last year's match-up was rained out. Good weather is predicted this time.
Crown Point sophomore outfielder Gabrielle (Gabby) Raspopovich is the sister of freshman Hannah and senior Molly Raspopovich, who are star CP swimmers. All three are cousins of Merrillville quarterback Josh Raspopovich.
All years have not been recorded, but there is no recent record of Crown Point ever beginning the season with a record of 7-1. While CP was sweeping two games in the CPHS softball stadium, Crown Point's baseball team was beating Clay 13-1 and Mishawaka 12-3 on the CP baseball diamond. CP has never won the DAC in both softball and baseball in the same season.
CP coach Brett Crutchfield didn't know the last time CP beat Lowell, but he knew they hadn't done it since he'd been coach.
"Megan Bolanowski hit a walk off home run to beat us last year," he recalled.
Crown Point's Taylor Perry always wears sunglasses on the field, even when it's cloudy. Even at 9:00 a.m. in the morning.
"I cannot see without sunglasses on," Taylor says. "Even when its cloudy, I like to have them on. My trademark, I guess."
CP had the tarpaulin on the field Sunday and Monday, riding out some April showers. The tarp was provided by the parents of CP alum Amy Fairchild, who is at St. Xavier College now.
The Lady Bulldogs' infield is somewhat vulnerable to rain and the field cover will definitely mean fewer postponements at Crown Point.
CP basketball star Daniela Tarailo will attend the University of South Carolina at Aiken, a Division II school. Aiken graduates two senior starting guards who scored in double figures (they started three guards last year) next month so CP's 5-foot-10 leading scorer (17 ppg.) should get some early playing time if she can adjust to being far from home.
"They called and two days later I was down there," Daniela said. "It's warm. It's small. About 3,200 students. The facilities are all new. The gym (the 4,00-seat USC-Aiken Convocation Center) opened two years ago. South Carolina isn't that big. Everything's about an hour away. It's got a really cute little downtown and there's a more modern uptown. It's an hour away from the University of South Carolina."
Aiken, South Carolina is 40 minutes from Augusta, Georgia, the home of the Masters Golf Tournament. USC-Aiken is the three time (2004-2006) Division II men's golf national champion. They also had a record number of freshmen enroll in 2006.
"Its a D-II school," Tarailo explains. "They said I'm their No. 1 recruit. We had an open gym when I was there and there were a lot of people interested in the school. Thee were seven people from other schools who came to play. They've won over 20 games (22-12 last season) in each of the last three years. It's a good conference (the Peach Belt Conference) and I'm really happy with it."
"I went down there and I was sure I wanted to go there. But it took time for me to accept. They offered me the last day I was there. But they said they'd wait for me to make a decision. They're really hospitable down there. They offered a full ride. Nothing else compared to that offer. I looked everywhere. But it was between DePauw and Aiken."
"My parents are worried about the distance. But all the games are web cast so they can watch me. A lot of people are telling me that once I go there four years, I won't want to come back."
2009 Crown Point Softball (7-1)
Coach Brett Crutchfield (2 years) 18-11 (2008), 16-14 (2007)
Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) games in CAPS
4-3 (W) 2-1 at Penn (6-3)
4-8 (L) 6-7 LAKE CENTRAL (10-2)
4-9 (W) 16-0 (5 innings) MERRILLVILLE (1-9)
4-10 (W) 5-0 Munster (5-5)
4-15 (W) 15-2 MICHIGAN CITY (5 innings)
4-16 (W) 6-1 LaPORTE (8-1)
4-17 (W) 3-0 Lowell (7-3)
4-18 (W) 10-0 (6 innings) Hobart (2-6)
4-20 (M) CHESTERTON (6-4) rain
4-22 (W) VALPARAISO (2-6) 4:30 p.m.
4-24 (F) at PORTAGE (3-5) 4:30 p.m.
CROWN POINT Invitational
4-25 (Sat) St. Joseph's (4-2) 10 a.m.
4-25 (Sat) Hanover Central (4-0) 12 noon
4-25 (Sat) Andrean (8-2) 2 p.m.
4-28 (Tues) LAKE CENTRAL - 4:30 p.m.
4-30 (Thurs) at MERRILLVILLE - 4:30 p.m.
5-4 (M) MICHIGAN CITY - 4:30 p.m.
5-6 (W) at LaPORTE (8-1) 4:30 p.m.
5-7 (Th) at CHESTERTON - 4:30 p.m.
Twin Lakes Invitational in Monticello, IN
5-8 (Fri) pool play game one ( p.m.)
5-9 (Sat) pool play game two (a.m.)
5-9 (Sat) pool play game three (p.m.)
5-12 (Tues) at VALPARAISO - 4:30 p.m.
5-14 (Thurs) PORTAGE - 4:30 p.m.
5-15 (F) at Griffith - 4:30 p.m.
5-18 (M) at Boone Grove (6-0) 4:30 p.m.
5-22 (F) Highland - 4:30 p.m.
Class 4A Sectional Two at Merrillville
5-25 (M) quarterfinals - 5 or 7 p.m.
5-27 (W) Semifinals - 5 or 7 p.m.
5-29 (F) championship
Class 4A Merrillville Regional
6-6 (Sat)Semifinals - 11 a.m. or 1 p.m.
6-6 (Sat)championship - 7 p.m.
2009 Indiana State Softball Finals
Semifinals - 6:30 p.m.
6-12 (F) 1A at Hamilton Southeastern
6-12 (F) 2A at North Central
6-12 (F) 3A at Pike
6-12 (F) 4A at Ben Davis
2009 Indiana State Softball Finals
Title games (at Ben Davis)
6-13 (S) 1A championship 10:30 a.m.(EST); 6-13 (S) 2A championship 1:30 p.m. (EST)
6-13 (S) 3A championship 4:30 p.m. (EST); 6-13 (S) 4A championship 7:30 p.m. (EST)
2009 Lowell Softball (7-3)
6-13 (S) 1A championship 10:30 a.m.(EST); 6-13 (S) 2A championship 1:30 p.m. (EST)
6-13 (S) 3A championship 4:30 p.m. (EST); 6-13 (S) 4A championship 7:30 p.m. (EST)
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Revised: April 22, 2009.