Lady Bulldogs finish regular season with impressive 5-2 win over Wildcats

A USA-365 special report by Mark Smith

5-18-2008

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
HANOVER CENTRAL (18-7)	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	4	3
CROWN POINT (16-10)	3	1	0	0	0	1	-	5	9	0

Saturday, May 17, 2008 - 65-degrees, regular season finale in CROWN POINT, IN

WP - Jackie Beilfuss (10-7) CG, 8K, 0 walks
LP - Kelsey Jankowski (8-3) 0K, 1 walk (1.7 inn.)

HANOVER CENTRAL (18-7) starters
Katra Gilbert (SS) 0-for-3
Morgan Austgen (CF) 0-for-3
Kelsey Jankowski (P-1B) 0-for-2
Jessica Toth (1B-P) 0-for-3
Tiffany Gibson (RF) 2-for-3, double
Lindsey Thompson (2B) 0-for-3
Shannon Kiraly (3B) 2-for-3, double, triple
Danielle Graham (LF) 0-for-2
Anna Plassmann (DH) 0-for-1

CROWN POINT (16-10) starters
Allsion Adank (3B) 1-for-3, sac bunt
Amber Pierce (CF) 1-for-3, walk
Jessica Martinez (2B) 1-for-4, stolen base
Lindsey Gurnenz (1B) 1-for-3, RBI, walk, stolen base
Katrina Klingberg (C) 0-for-4, RBI
Jackie Beilfuss (P) 1-for-3
Kara Gulvas (3B) 1-for-3
Jessica Palm (SS) 1-for-2, triple, bunt sac
Amiee Favia (RF) 1-for-3, stolen base

CROWN POINT, IN (5-17-2008) - Crown Point coach Brett Crutchfield doesn't have much to be unhappy about these days. The Bulldogs' 5-2 win over Hanover Central Saturday afternoon in the 2008 regular season finale for both teams gave CP (16-10) nine wins in their final 10 games heading into the Class 4A Chesterton Sectional.

But he's not happy that a several non-conference foes started their No. 2 pitchers against his squad. He sees it as a show of disrespect.

"I understand their situation," he said of Hanover Central, which was coming off a late Friday afternoon game at 1A No. 1 Whiting. "But all I've been hearing is how we're beating everybody's No. 2 pitcher. I've read it three or four times in the last week and I'm tired of it. We're beating teams that are ranked ahead of us in local polls. We're on a roll and going into the sectionals, I would have to say we're the hottest team."

Hanover started right-hander Kelsey Jankowski (8-3), who lasted less two innings, allowing five hits and a walk to the fast-rising Bulldogs (16-10). To call Jankwoski, who was 8-4 as a freshman in 2007 and had previously lost only to 2A No. 2 Eastern and Illinois small school state champ Beecher (28-5) a 'No. 2' is technically accurate, but somewhat misleading. CP beat a good pitcher and they even scored a sixth-inning run off HC's 'No. 1' pitcher, right-hander Jessica Toth (9-4) the Porter County Conference (PCC) MVP, who pitched the final 4 1/3 innings in relief Saturday.

Crutchfield understood that Hanover coach Larry McMillen wanted Toth to go against Whiting (26-0) and Jankowski to pitch against the Bulldog (16-10), but he said that illustrates his point. HC wanted their top pitcher against a 1A school and the next best pitcher against 4A Crown Point.

"That's exactly what I mean," said the second year Bulldog boss, who, as an assistant, was used to seeing everybody's best at Andrean. "If teams want to keep pitching their No. 2 against us, we'll keep beating them up."

CP won for the 9th time in 10 games, jumping to a 4-0 lead and winning easily. Jackie Beilfuss pitched a complete game for the 3rd day in a row, striking out eight and walking none. Hanover, which lost 3-0 to Whiting late Friday, committed three errors and had three runs score against them on wild pitches or passed balls. The PCC champion Lady Cats just were not in the game physically or mentally, four days before the sectional opener.

"If we play like we have the last two days," said coach Larry McMillen, who wasn't fooled by a couple of 10-0 blowouts at the PCC tournament, "we'll be out (of the sectional) in one game. We are not hitting the ball and we haven't for awhile. There will be changes. We can't go into the sectional like this."

In the first inning, CP senior Allison Adank slapped a single off the glove of HC third baseman Shannon Kiraly. Amber Pierce walked and one out later, Adank scored from third on a ground ball to Kiraly, beating the throw home for a 1-0 lead.

Katrina Klingberg's ground out to short scored Jessica Martinez with the 2-0 run and a third run scored on a wild pitch by Jankowski. Crown Point upped the lead to 4-0 in the fourth when freshman shortstop Jessica Palm tripled to right center and scored on a passed ball.

The score was 5-0 with two out in the final inning when Kiraly's two-run triple scored both Hanover runs. Beilfuss retired 10 in a row in the middle innings as Hanover just didn't hit the ball hard. Crutchfield was happy with the way his infield cleaned up HC's weakly hit efforts.

"Little infield singles turn into three and four run innings," said Crutchfield, "and they did early in the year. Stealing and running and moving runners. That's what we want to do."

To be totally honest, ponies will roller skate before Hanover or Crown Point lose their first round playoff game next week. Crown Point faces Merrillville (3-22) Wednesday night in the 4A Chesterton quarterfinals while Hanover takes on Lake Station (4-18) at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the 2A Lake Station semifinals. But HC must regain or re-invent confidence quickly to survive next Thursday's sectional title game against either Bishop Noll (17-9) or Wheeler (19-6). Hanover has led or been within one run after five innings in every game all season until last weekend when they were beaten by more than the score indicated.

"I'm tired of this," said McMillen, who agreed his team didn't seem that interested in this final game of the season. "We've done that a few times this year. Some of our girls have gone south hitting the ball. If we can't do any better than this, Lake Station can beat us. They think they can turn it on whenever they want to. I hope they can."

On the other side of the diamond, hopes are high. As his girls exchanged gifts and kind words on 'Senior Day', Crutchfield saw no reason to have low expectations.

"I think we can still be playing two weeks (at the Elkhart regional) from today."

DOG-CAT NOTES: Crown Point beat Andrean 1-0 last Tuesday (May 13) and topped Alyssa Mosely (8-4), arguably the 59ers' top pitcher. But they did beat No. 2s when they beat 4A No. 9 Hamilton Southeastern (19-6) and 2A No. 6 Boone Grove (16-5). Boone had no choice as ace righty Taylor Johnson (12-3) was injured in the PCC tournament the weekend before they played Crown Point.

But CP coach Brett Crutchfield is correct about his main point. Teams with reputations like Lake Central, Andrean and even Hanover Central and Whiting rarely see No. 2 pitchers in conference or non-conference games. Crutchfield simply wants his new team to be respected in that manner. In the final week of the season, CP defeated Andrean, Boone Grove, Highland and Hanover Central, losing only 5-2 to Lowell in 9-innings.

Hanover Central lost 3-0 at 1 A No. 1 Whiting Friday as junior right-hander Mel Dumezich (23-0) struck out 16 and allowed only a first inning single to Kara Gilbert. Whiting freshman Amanda Blackwell hit her fifth home run of the season for the Oilers, who are prohibitive favorites to win the 1A Sectional on their own home field. Some who were in attendance complained about the home plate umpiring which gave the Whiting star right-hander called strikes on anything close to the plate, but it was the first time HC had been shut out all season. Whiting defeated Hanover for the fourth consecutive time. Dumezich, a 5-foot-9 junior, has 21 shutouts this season and Whiting pitching has allowed eight runs all season.

While Crown Point did win a sectional title in 2003, they were only 16-16 that year. This is CP's first winning record since they were 19-9 in 1999. Under the present IHSAA state tournament format, CP has never advanced beyond the regional semifinals.

HC was 3-2 against Class 4A schools this season, defeating Jefferson, Lowell and Chesterton, while losing to CP and Munster. Hanover has lost to Munster (25-5), Beecher (28-4), Eastern (20-3), Whiting (26-0), Andrean (14-9), Boone Grove (15-6) and now CP (16-10).

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jackie Beilfuss (10-7) had a career game against Highland Friday, a day when her coach originally had planned to rest her.

"She pitched a one-hitter with 14 strikeouts and she hit two home runs," said Crutchfield, who inserted Beilfuss when junior Kelsey Rather came down with a minor injury. "The wind was blowing out to right and she hit them to left. I know she likes to bat (Beilfuss) and I just happened to put her in there (someone usually bats for Beilfuss) Friday. She made me look good with that one."

Senior Lindsey Gurnenz was happy with the final week and the final 'senior' day.

"It was emotional," she said of the speeches friends delivered to Gurnenz, Allison Adank, Amber Pierce, Amiee Favia and Amy Fairchild. "To see my friends cry, in a happy way, made me feel very good. I'm going to miss this team and this field."

Gurnenz recalled her first varsity game.

"Kaitlin Rather broke her thumb (in 2006) and they moved me up from JV to play first base. I was so scared. I thought the girls were throwing the ball 100 miles-an-hour. But it was a great experience."

Gurnenz credits her improvement, which has seen her move into the clean-up role in the batting order, to Crutchfield.

"Definitely," she said. "Coach helped me so much. He got out tapes and compared us to other players. He compared me to Jennie Finch because I'm so tall. He videotaped all of us and we got to see what we do. He's definitely helped my hitting."

"We (the 2008 seniors) were the second freshman group at the new high school and I'm very grateful that we came along at that time. This school is amazing. I love this field. I think we're going to win the sectional. We've put ourselves together during the season."

"As you can see, when we're not into the game cheering and screaming for each other, we can't do much. When we're all together, we can put up runs like it's nothing. It's confidence. Teaching helps. But you have to be confident."

2008 (4A) CROWN POINT (16-10)
Brett Crutchfield (2nd year) 16-14 in 2007
3-24 (W) 6-2 Hobart
3-25 (L) 2-3 (8 innings) New Prairie (12-8)
4-2 (L) 1-7 Lake Central (22-6)
4-3 (W) 4-2 Portage (17-8)
4-6 (W) 10-0 (5 innings) Morton (5 innings)
4-7 (L) 3-4 at Munster (24-6)
4-8 (W) 13-0 (5 innings) Merrillville (3-22)
4-14 (W) 10-0 (5 innings) Michigan City
4-15 (W) 7-2 at LaPorte (15-13)
4-17 (L) 3-5 at Valparaiso
4-18 (L) 0-2 at Chesterton (16-9)
4-22 (L) 3-7 at Lake Central (22-6)
4-24 (L) 0-3 at Portage (17-8)
4-25 (L) 0-7 Griffith (19-7)
4-29 (W) 10-0 (5 innings) Merrillville (3-22)
4-30 (L) 2-9 LaPorte (15-13)
5-3 (W) 13-4 at Hamilton Southeastern (19-6)
5-3 (W) 7-2 at Zionsville
5-5 (W) 10-0 (5 innings) at Michigan City
5-7 (W) 9-1 Valparaiso (7-11)
5-8 (W) 5-4 (9 innings) Chesterton (16-9)
5-12 (W) 5-1 Boone Grove (17-5)
5-13 (W) 1-0 Andrean (16-10)
5-15 (L) 2-5 at Lowell (19-9)
5-16 (W) 9-1 at Highland (12-12)
5-17 (W) 5-2 Hanover Central (18-7)

Chesterton (4A) Sectional
5-21 (W) CP vs. MERRILLVILLE (TBA) 6 p.m.,
5-22 (Th) semifinals (probably vs. Chesterton) 7 p.m.
5-23 (F) championship (TBA)

Elkhart Memorial (4A) Regional
5-21 (W) semifinal [probably Lake Central (22-6)] 10 a.m. (EST)
5-21 (W) final [probably South Bend Adams (18-8)] 7 p.m.

2A Hanover Central (18-7)
Coach Larry McMillen (17th year) 20-10 - PCC games in CAPS

(W)12-2 at Chesterton (16-9)

Queen of Diamonds Tourney - at LaVille
(W) 15-0 Clinton Prairie (12-15)
(W) 11-0 Maconaquah
(W) 10-1 Mishawaka Marian (22-3) finals

(W) 14-1 at LaCROSSE (3-20)
(W) 7-1 at MORGAN TOWNSHIP
(L) 1-6 Munster (25-5)
(W) 3-2 (9 inn.) Lowell (19-9)
(L) 3-4 at Beecher, Ill (28-5)

Four Class Tourney
4-19 (rain) Andrean (16-10)
4-19 (rain) Crown Point (16-10)
4-19 (rain) South Central (12-12)

(W) 2-1 (8 innings) Wheeler (17-6)
(W) 5-0 HEBRON (14-6)
(W) 11-0 (6 inn.) South Newton
(W) 5-0 KOUTS (6-12)
(W) 13-1 (5 inn.) Rensselaer (0-24)
(W) 10-0 (5 inn.) SOUTH CENTRAL (12-12)
(L) 2-3 (8 inn.) BOONE GROVE (17-6)

Twin Lakes Invitational
16 teams - pool play - at Monticello, Ind.
5-2 (L) 3-5 Andrean (16-10)
5-3 (L) 4-5 Eastern (18-5)
5-3 (W) 11-1 Jefferson (5-20)
5-6 (W) 7-1 WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

PCC Championship
5-9 (W) 4-0 Hebron (14-6)
5-10 (W) 10-0 (6 inn.) South Central (12-12)
5-10 (W) 5-3 Boone Grove (17-6)

5-16 (L) 0-3 at Whiting (26-0)
5-17 (L) 2-5 at Crown Point (16-10)

Lake Station (2A) Sectional
5-21 (W) Lake Station
5-23 (F) championship (vs, Wheeler or Bishop Noll)

LaVille (2A) Regional
5-30 (S) semifinals (probably vs. Boone Grove) 10 a.m.
5-30 (S) championship (probably Jimtown or Fairfield) - 7 p.m.