Lady Wildcats' pitching remains strong with Lapota and Wendlinger leading Hanover to 1-0 and 5-1 wins

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

4-16-2005

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

Friday, April 15, 2005 - sunny, 62 degrees in Cedar Lake

WP – Kelly Lapota (3-0) CG #3, 8K, 0 walks - 3^rd consecutive shutout

LP - Nichole Schmittel (3-4) CG, 5K, 2 walks

HANOVER CENTRAL (4-2-1)

Rachel Williams (HC) Single, walk, run scored

Andria Trock (HC) 2 sac bunts

CLARK (3-4)

Susie Iglas (C) Single, stolen base

Chrissy Dvorscak (C) Single, stolen base

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
1A Morgan Township (2-3)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
2A HANOVER CENTRAL (3-2-1)	0	0	0	1	3	1	-	5	12	0

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - windy, 51 degrees in Cedar Lake

WP – Amanda Wendlinger (1-2) CG #3, 18 K, 1 walk

LP - Michelle Madden (2-3) CG, 6K, 0 walks

HANOVER CENTRAL (3-2-1, 1-0 PCC**)

Heather Rebenack (HC) 2 singles, run scored

Andria Trock (HC) 2 singles

Kelly Lapota (HC) 3 singles, 2 RBIs

**HC's 41^st consecutive PCC regular season or PCC tournament victory

CEDAR LAKE (4-15-2005) - It was not one of the better games for Hanover Central. It was clearly one of those games where you play for the future, put in younger players and let them get experience.

It speaks to Hanover pitcher Kelly Lapota, catcher Jill Sjoerdsma and the infield defense that that the Lady Cats didn't give up any runs.

It is unsettling that they still aren't scoring many runs. More softball games end 1-0 than any other score but Hanover wishes they didn't.

“It's frustrating,” said Sjoerdsma, who has had lots of early success taking over for Megan Meyers, the catcher on the 2004 state Class 2A champions. “I should be hitting better.”

But you don't sense any panic over HC's weak offense because the pitching has been so strong. After seven games, Hanover (4-2-1), facing 4A powers Munster and Chesterton plus 3A Clark and 2A rival Bishop Noll (twice) with an almost all-new defense, the Lady Cats have posted five seven-inning shutouts, even with all-state right-hander Amanda Wendlinger having lost two 1-0 games.

“Kelly Lapota's pitches are 'on' right now,” explained Sjoerdsma. “Her curves and her drops are hitting corners. She's throwing harder than she was. Amanda's ball moves more. Her curves and her rise ball moves more. Kelly's drop moves better. Their change-ups are both good. We've only given up three runs this year.”

Clark (3-4) only had five base runners in the sunny, mid-April 5 p.m. game and they had a chance to steal this game away from second-ranked HC in the sixth inning. Sue Iglas slapped a one out infield hit off Lapota and Chrissy Dvorscak bounced a hit into center field with two out. After Clark coach Dale Ridgley called for a successful double steal, Lapota ended the inning with a popup to HC second baseman Angie Warren.

Lapota retired the side in order in the last inning.

“Yeah, I was throwing harder at the end,” she said. “I don't know if I should do that but I was.”

Hanover, which has scored just seven runs in six games since opening day, pushed an unearned run across the plate in the first inning after senior Rachel Williams walked. HC junior Andria Trock dropped a bunt down in front of the plate and Clark first baseman Kari Moore slipped as she threw the ball to first base, the wild throw bouncing down the right field line. Williams scored all the way from first base.

HC had base runners in every inning and could have scored a lot more. The lowlight came in the bottom of the sixth when Danielle Hill batted with runners at second and third. Hill cracked a hard line drive to left center on which Clark center fielder Jackie Dvorscak made a nice running catch. Neither HC base runner Brittany Rybicki or Amanda Wendlinger tagged up. Rybicki, who was on third base, actually crossed the plate before returning to third. But she did not slide coming back to third and overran the base, getting tagged out by Clark's Kristina Morgan.

But the pitching covered up most mistakes so far. And Lapota, who is clearly the No. 2 pitcher for Hanover, has improved to the point where she dominates her assignments. In 19 innings, Lapota, who was 5-1 last year, has not allowed a run or a walk.

“Kelly and I are so close,” said Sjoerdsma. “Between us, things just work. I wish we (as a team) were undefeated. I wish we wouldn't make so many mistakes. But we still are a young team. We will grow.”

“We played pretty well,” said Ridgley. “We know they didn't pitch Wendlinger today. But Lapota's pretty good. That's still a pretty good team over there. They're going to to do real well in their class.”

With senior Christie Wick injured and unavailable, HC's younger players clearly have faith in senior leaders Wendlinger and Lapota, even though Lapota is not as talkative as Wendlinger. Sjoerdsma, just a junior, has to try to lead because HC has six first time starters.

“Kelly's not as quiet as people think she is,” Amanda says. Sjoerdsma added, “That's right. Kelly's loud, too. In practice the three of us talk a lot.”

There's still a lot to talk about.

LADY CAT NOTES: Clark coach Ridgley is a big booster of Hanover coach Larry McMillen. “He is one of the greatest coaches in the state. Not everybody gets along with him, but with what he gives and what he does, the good thing about him is that you'll always get a straight answer. That's what I love about him.”

“In 1997, we were 19-8 and in 1998, I came out here and Larry didn't have much pitching. He told me, “I don't know. I might be ready to give this up. Then the next year (Beth) Wendlinger came and I said, 'you're not going to give it up now.”

Hanover Central first baseman outfielder Christie Wick says she'll be back on the field by mid-May.

“I want to, at least say, Hey, I got to play my senior year,” said Wick.

An oddity of the Clark-Hanover game was some family history. Clark's best players are sisters Chrissy and Jackie Dvorscak who played shortstop and center field for the Pioneers Friday evening. Hanover senior pitcher Amanda Wendlinger played only as a pinch hitter but is one of the Wildcats major players.

In 1993, Lake Central football reached the state finals with a quick striking three-man backfield that included Bryan Nobertowicz, Jim Dvorscak and David Wendlinger. The Dvorscak and Wendlinger girls are not that familiar with the exploits of their much older football playing cousins, as you might expect. But the odds of the cousins of two backfield members at one school playing softball against each other at two other schools 20 miles apart, is fairly large.

“What's really funny,” said Ridgley, “is that their dad Gary played for my brother Gary in Little League. The connections go back that far.”

Gary Ridgley is retiring and Dale, his brother, is also leaving Clark.

“Nine years and they're finally catching on to some of this,” said Dale Ridgley. “And this is my last year. Gary (Clark's baseball coach) and I are both leaving. I'll be coaching somewhere next year. Just a little difference in philosophy.”

Hanover Central has come up with a strategy for the Twin Lakes Invitational on May 6-7 and it falls into 'It's the best we can do' category.

HC's prom committee set the date of the 2005 prom on May 7 and juniors are scheduled to take their ACT college entrance exams on the morning of May 7.

“What we've decided to do,” said Wick, “is to play Friday night and Saturday morning and then go home no matter what. The scheduling didn't go our way. We still get to play three games and its' good competition.”

In the five years HC has been in the 16-team pool play tournament, they have never advanced beyond the pool play level. The winners of four pools play semi-finals late Saturday after noon before a 6 p.m. championship game.

Amanda Wendlinger added, “We called up Twin Lakes and told them that we can't stay after the first three games. If we win our pool, the second team in our pool will go to the semifinals.”

To be honest, the only game Hanover may care about is the first one. The Lady Cats, who are No. 2 have been told they have drawn Class 2A No.1 Eastern of Howard County in one of the feature games Friday night.

Class 4A No. 8 Munster and No. 9 McCutcheon are both in the Twin Lakes field along with 3A No. 1 Andrean, 2A No. 6 Lewis Cass and 1A No. 2 Pioneer. Lowell, Merrillville and Boone Grove are also in the field. The Twin Lakes Invitational is widely considered the premier regular season softball tournament in the state.

Wick, who was injured on December 29 in the Momence Holiday Basketball Tournament, did not have surgery until March 2.

“It's going really well now,” Christie said. “I'm working out every day. I'm going back to the doctor this week and I hope it's good news. Hopefully, he'll let me start throwing the ball around. It's no fun keeping the scorebook. I want to be out there.”

Wick, a 5-9 basketball perimeter player, plans to attend Purdue University and is thinking seriously about trying to walk on to the Boilermakers basketball team.

“I've got nothing to lose,” she says, of the her chances of going from the PCC to the Big-10. “I'm thinking of asking coach (Chris) York if he can type up a letter of recommendation for me. I'll work my butt off over the summer and give it a try. I don't see what I have to lose.”