Lady Wildcats' Wendlinger shuts out Chesterton in season home opening 0-0 tie

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

4-2-2005

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
2A HANOVER CENTRAL (1-0-1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
4A Chesterton (2-0-1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1

(4-1-2005) - 45 degrees, light rain in Cedar Lake

(HANOVER) – Amanda Wendlinger (0-0), CG, 8Ks, 1 walk

(Chesterton) Laura DeLeon (1-0), CG, 12 Ks, 1 walk

HANOVER (0-0-1)
Samantha Plant (HC) Single, Bunt sac
Jill Sjoerdsma (HC) Single, walk
Andria Trock (HC) 2 sac bunts

Chesterton (2-0-1)
Jessica Brannagan (Chesterton) Walk
Emma Lawson (Chesterton) Single
Laura DeLeon (Chesterton) Single
Kelly Vargo (Chesterton) Sac bunt

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
2A HANOVER CENTRAL (1-0)	2	6	3	7	0	-	-	19	13	1
2A River Forest (0-2)	0	0	0	0	0	-	-	0	1	5

(3-31-2005) - 57 degrees, sunny in Hobart Township

WP - Kelly Lapota (1-0), CG, 10Ks, 1 walk

LP – Lauren Struebig (0-2), CG, 7 Ks, 8 walks

HANOVER (1-0)
Kelly Lapota (HC) 2 doubles, single, 3 runs scored
Andria Trock (HC) Triple, double, RBI
Jill Sjoerdsma (HC) Double, single, RBI
Molly Fairhurst (HC) Double, single, 3 RBIs

River Forest (0-2)
Lauren Struebig (RF) single

CEDAR LAKE (4-1-2005) - The game started in in daylight and dusty breezes and it ended under artificial light and steady rain.
But it ended the way it should have. Defending Class 2A state champion Hanover Central battling three-time defending 20-game winner Chesterton in the Wildcats' season opener late Thursday.

The 5 p.m. contest started at about 5:30 because the Trojans got hung up (to be fair, there is no good way from Chesterton to Cedar Lake) on the way to Hanover's softball field. It ended in an agreement between the two longtime head coaches to accept a very honorable scoreless tie between two teams that hope to end the season on the same field at the state finals in Carmel.

“In the last inning, Larry asked me that if nobody scores, could this be the last inning,” said 22-year Chesterton coach Lou Ann Hopson.

“I thought we'd both accomplished everything we came to do. We played seven innings and nobody scored.”

Regrets? “Yes and no,” said Hopson. “We came into a game where we knew it would be low-scoring. You face a quality team and you think you have a quality team yourself. Hey, I'm older now. Twenty years ago, I'd have said 'Let's stay out here until we finish it.' But we did the things we needed to do. I think the kids learned some things about themselves.”

“We did the right thing,” said 15-year HC coach Larry McMillen. “We did what we came out to accomplish. We played seven innings of good ball. It could have been better, but it was good.”

Folks tend to liken sports confrontations to heavyweight fights but this was not like that. Heavyweights can knock each other out at any time and that wasn't going to happen Friday night.

This was an evenly matched battle which could have been 1-0, might have been 2-0. But, truthfully, it was fitting this game ended in a scoreless tie. Chesterton had more baserunners. Hanover had the biggest threat. But both sides went home undefeated with smiles, not to mention raindrops on their faces.

“They (the Hanover girls) didn't want to quit,” said McMillen. “They wanted to play more. But what do you accomplish? So, somebody wins. That's immaterial at this point. What if somebody gets hurt?”

It was that bad. What was a sunny, 60-degree day at one p.m., turned into steady rain and 45-degree chill by the time Chesterton got back on the bus and headed east at 7 p.m.

The best scoring chance of the day came in the Hanover fifth inning when junior catcher Jill Sjoerdsma smacked a first pitch infield hit off the third baseman's glove. Andria Trock laid down a sacrifice bunt, which drew a low throw from first baseman Emma Lawson, putting runners at first and second.

HC's Danielle Hill tried to bunt four times and fouled the a 1-2 pitch off for a strikeout before Samantha Plant successfully bunted the runners to second and third.

With the rain starting to fall sincerely and a crowd of about 200 looking on, Chesterton star Laura DeLeon won a six-pitch strikeout from HC sophomore Molly Fairhurst to end the inning.

DeLeon, who was 14-6 last season with 11 shutouts, dominated the first three innings, striking out seven of the first nine Lady Cats. HC, which opened the season with a 19-0 win at over matched River Forest, put a runners in scoring position in both the fifth and the seventh.

HC right-hander Amanda Wendlinger, who won 22 games last season including the state title game, gave up some high flyballs to the more experienced Chesterton hitters, but retired the side in order in the third, fifth and seventh.

The most significant defensive plays of the game came in the sixth inning. Chesterton's speedy lead off man Amber Paz reached base on a hard smash that got through Trock, HC's new shortstop. Jessica Brannagan blooped a pop up into right center field. The ball should have been caught but Plant, HC's new right fielder, picked it up on the hop and got a force play at second base.

Chesterton's Kayla Vargo, who has been signed to play Division I softball at IU-Purdue – Fort Wayne, smashed a looping line drive to center field. HC senior center fielder Rachel Williams confidently charged the ball and made a tumbling catch for the second out. After Paz stole second base, senior Tara Hiteman, who will play college ball at the University of Rhode Island, hit a bouncer in the hole that HC third baseman Danielle Hill cut off. Hill's throw to first was in the dirt but Lady Cats' first baseman Kelly Lapota made the catch on one hop to save the scoreless tie.

McMillen praised seniors Williams and Lapota for their big plays and added about Hill. “At least she cut the ball off. The shortstop can't make that play.”

There was an air that while Chesterton looked like the superior team, HC came out with a moral victory. With senior middle-of-the-order hitter Heather Rebenack on spring break, this was the first 'big' game for four of the nine Hanover starters. The right side of the infield and outfield was shaky at times but no runs scored and the Lady Cats got close-game experience without losing.

“There were some mistakes on the right side,” said McMillen. “And that's really critical for us. We didn't play that well over there. We use this game as a measuring stick. This and Munster. You get to know where you're at and what you need to work on. Like hitting. She (DeLeon) was throwing some BBs up there at us and we weren't quite ready for that.”

Wendlinger, who made her season debut, looked stronger as the game ran longer. What may be overlooked about Hanover is that Wendlinger pitched the entire 2004 season at less than 100% after December (2003) reconstructive knee surgery. The two-time 20-game winner, who was the losing pitcher in a 6-5 loss at Chesterton in April of 2004, has the potential to be better than last season.

"Amanda is always going to keep us in every game,” said McMillen. “Nobody's going to hit her very well. Amanda wasn't real sharp tonight. She pitched a good game. None of the balls they hit to the outfield were all that hard. Even the one that Rocky (Rachel Williams) caught. We definitely didn't hit the ball very hard. But a couple of times we did put the bat on the ball.”

“We lost five starters off the state title team. Two of my outfielders are new. Second base and third base are new and the catcher is new although she (Jill Sjoerdsma) did play some last year. This is kind of a rebuilding year. Three of the four new girls (2B Brittany Rybicki, RF Samantha Plant and designated player Molly Fairhurst) are sophomores. I told them, they aren't sophomores any more. They are now varsity players and they can't be scared out there.”

LADY CAT NOTES: Hanover coach Larry McMillen did a little campaigning for senior center fielder Rachel Williams.

“She's one of the best center fielders in the whole area,” he said.

Chesterton remained unscored-on for the year after shutout wins 7-0 over Gavit and 4-0 over Boone Grove. Junior Ashley Thomas and sophomore Emma Lawson combined for the one hit shutout of Boone on Thursday (3-31-2005) night.

“I did notice,” added McMillen, “that Lou Ann (Hopson) did not pitch her best pitcher last night against Boone.”

Chesterton will have a four team tournament on April 23 with Bishop Noll, Lafayette Catholic and highly-regarded South Bend Washington.

Hanover's participation in the 16-team Twin Lakes Invitational in May may be on a limited basis.

“Not only did the school schedule prom for that weekend,” reports McMillen. “But some girls have ACT tests that Saturday. I don't know what we're going to do.”

Hopson is proud that pitcher Laura DeLeon (Loyola of Chicago), outfielder Tara Hiteman (Rhode Island) and catcher Kayla Vargo (IU-Purdue – Fort Wayne) are all signed to play at Division I softball colleges.

“We have five kids in college now,” she reminded. “Including two at St. Joseph's. It means a lot .”

Hanover Central's Krystina Davis who was largely a pinch runner for HC in the state title season of 2004, is filling the same role for Division II St. Joseph's College (13-7) in Rensselaer in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). Davis had scored five runs with a stolen base in 14 games.

HC's Beth Wendlinger, a junior at the University of Indianapolis (10-4) in the GLVC, is off to an All-America start with an 8-1 record and a 0.68 ERA after 10 games and 53 innings. Present HC senior Amanda Wendlinger's older sister, Beth was a first team high school all-stater in 2002, and had walked just four batters in those 53 innings.

ON DECK...

Bishop Noll at Hanover Central

Saturday, April 9, 2004

CEDAR LAKE (4-9-2005) Noll is a sectional foe in May so this is a big game for them. Returning right-hander Kristen Chico will challenge the Lady Cats who had some understandable offensive problems against Chesterton on April 1.

Noll traditionally can stay with Hanover and this should be a good matchup after an idle practice week for the Lady Cats.

Hanover Central at North Newton

Tuesday, April 12, 2004

MOROCCO (4-12-2005) The Spartans are very inexperienced behind four-year varsity pitcher Rae Elijah. In fact, the Spartans have just four players returning from last season so they have to get off to a good start (a scoreless first inning) in this game or it will be over quickly.

Right-hander Kelly Lapota, who struck out 10 in a 19-0 shutout of River Forest on March 31, figures to get the call in this game as HC has the PCC opener the next day.

Morgan Township at Hanover Central

Wednesday, April 13, 2004

CEDAR LAKE (4-13-2005) Morgan Township returns all nine starters from last year's team including capable starting pitcher Nicole Jessen. But that team lost 12-0 to Hanover last April.

The Cherokees should be able to hang with Hanover for a few innings, but they do not have the offense to do a lot of damage here.

This will be the fifth game for the five new Hanover starting players and you will begin to see more confidence at the plate. HC has won 40 PCC games (including the PCC tournament) in a row so this is the third (Chesterton, Munster) big game of the season.