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

Ashley Yoways (3) comes into score after her 3rd inning homerun that gave Hanover a 2-1 lead over Hebron Saturday (4-14-2012) in Cedar Lake.

Hebron third baseman Mollie Lindeman (23) ends an HC rally by grabbing this ground ball as Taylor Hurst (12) breaks for third base in the fourth inning.

Hanover catcher Katie Klopp checks the bench for the sign during HC's Porter County Conference (PCC) Battle with Hebron Saturday.

HC pitcher Ashley Yoways (3) allowed six hits in the 4-3 Hanover Central victory.

Hanover Central shortstop Ivy Dawson gets set to make a back-handed stop on this fifth inning ground ball. Dawson threw out three of Hebron's final six batters in the 4-3 win for the Lady Cats.

Hebron sophomore Maggie Lindeman (13) allowed just six hits and a walk in five innings at Hanover. The go-ahead run scored in the fifth inning on a wild pitch.  (All photos by Mark Smith)

HC's Taylor Hurst (12) holds Hebron's pinch runner Ciarra Stalbaum (3) on base in the fourth inning of Saturday's HC-Hebron game in Cedar Lake.

Hanover's Melissa Balkema, (left) and Ashley Yoways (3) celebrate the final out as Hanover tops Hebron 4-3 in the PCC league opener. (All photos by Mark Smith)

CEDAR LAKE (04-14-2012) Hanover Central is obviously one of those teams that can lose to anybody on any given day. And then beat anybody the next day. Two weeks ago, Hanover lost 11-2 at Highland but then topped 3A No. 8 Kankakee Valley 15-0. KV didn't pitch start right-hander Jessica Dobson, but even so, 15-0?

Just last week, after the Lady Cats were slapped around 9-4 by Griffith, a game where they made five errors in one inning, HC faced Porter County Conference (PCC) rival Hebron, a team that defeated them three times last season on the way to the Hawks' first-ever regional championship.

It's not out of line to say it's hard to figure Hanover out.

"They showed up to play today," said HC coach Larry McMillen. "They got their butts chewed out for clowning around in practice yesterday (Friday). Then in the second inning they got chewed out for talking about home runs. I want them to get that out of their heads. Home runs are mistakes. If you hit it hard it will go."

"We had a hard day against Griffith. Just not concentrating. Last year we started 2-7 and that was really ugly. I told them I didn't want to start this season that way. But now we're 5-4 and we beat a quality team today."

It was two-run homer from sophomore Ashley Yoways that gave HC a 2-1 lead against the Hawks (5-3), but just putting the ball in play led to the decisive two-run fifth inning. Yoways doubled to left center and she moved up to third when Jamie Frost's ground ball bounced off the glove of Hebron first baseman Audrey Sutherland to second baseman Rachel Pauer. The Hawks got the out at first but Yoways advanced to third base.

Then, while Hebron starting pitcher Maggie Lindeman was trying to intentionally walk HC's Melissa Balkema, a high pitch jumped off the glove of Hebron catcher Emily O'Leary, allowing Yoways to score for a 3-2 HC lead. Katie Klopp's double to right field scored Balkema for a 4-2 lead.

Hebron coach Mike McLindon was clearly disappointed that his team didn't play well against one of their arch rivals.

"We wanted to walk her (Balkema) because she'd been hurting us," said McLindon. "But there were lots of things that we did wrong today and you just can't mistakes against good teams. We gave them opportunities and we didn't execute when we had our opportunities."

Early Saturday morning (10 a.m. start) games tend to have a low intensity level, but Hanover was up for the rematch of last year's 2A regional championship game won by Hebron 2-1.

Hebron did not pitch senior star Mollie Lindeman, who had pitched nine innings Friday in a 3-2 loss to Chesterton. Hanover saw sophomore Maggie Lindeman, Mollie's younger sister. Mollie is better, but there's not all that much difference.

"I thought overall Maggie did an outstanding job," said McLindon. "But we let a little base hit turn into a double. We made a few errors. You can't do that. Yesterday, I thought we did a whole lot right against Chesterton. Today, we didn't do a lot right, to be honest."

"I said it last year. Hanover's the class of our conference. They are up there every year. You can't come out without the intensity and energy against good teams."

In the seventh inning, Hebron cut the Hanover lead to 4-3 with a one-out double from Dani Heath. Sutherland, who had struck out twice, sacrificed the tying run to third to bring up Kylie Doelling, who hit a home run leading off the first inning.

"We knew she could hit anything hard," said Klopp, HC's catcher. So we tried to keep it low and outside. We weren't trying to pitch around her. Just keep it low and outside."

"I was so happy to beat them. I've had trouble hitting off them (the Lindemans). And I was upset that they waked her (Balkema) to get to me."

Hanover Central's start is remarkable because they have not had a complete roster all season. As of this week, outfielders Tiphani Ward and Blayr Poston are still out of action. And HC's 'complete roster' included just 11 varsity players to begin with.

Hanover had 13 players Saturday, but four of them were junior varsity players who were available on game day because Hebron does not have a JV. It seems crazy that Hanover (5-4) can have a winning season with just nine varsity players, but you are what your record says you are.

"As long as no one else gets hurt," we'll be fine," said Klopp. "We just beat two teams that we weren't expected to beat (Noll and Hebron) and we did it with nine players. We had a little revenge motive because they beat us for the regional championship last year."

CAT NOTES: Hanover edged Bishop Noll 6-5 last Thursday as freshman right-hander Jessica Whittenmore (2-0) survived a two-run Noll seventh to post her first varsity complete game victory.

Ivy Dawson had two hits and Katie Klopp drove in two runs as Hanover led 4-2 and 6-3 before holding on at the end.

Hebron and Hanover are almost certain to meet again in the Porter County Conference (PCC) championship tournament in late May. Hebron coach Mike McLindon said the Hanover-Hebron rivalry does not change now because Hanover has been moved up to Class 3A and can't play Class 2A Hebron in the post season.

"In my opinion, it's no different," he said. "That's the team we want to beat. You want to take care of your conference and they are the team you always have to beat."

Hanover coach Larry McMillen does not like his players trying to hit home runs.

"It's a mistake," he said Saturday. "You get fly balls and pop ups. If you hit a fly ball or pop it up, all they have to do is catch it. If you hit the ball on the ground, three things have to happen. They have to pick it up, they have to throw this and someone has to catch it. Give yourself three chances instead of one."

HC's Ashley Yoways had a base hit in all of Hanover's first nine games, including three home runs and she has clearly benefited from advice she got in the off-season at the local baseball skills school, run by the former Bishop Noll coach Dave Griffin.

"Last year I was pulling everything," she said. "Sometimes I'd hit little bloopers to right because I was pulling off. He just told me to try to hit everything to right field and now I've been hitting everything solid. I think I hit a lot more line drives now."

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2012 Hanover Central (5-4)
Coach Larry McMillen (22nd season) 13-13 in 2011

3/29 (W) 16-0 (5 Inn.) River Forest (0-8)
3/30 (L) 0-2 at Chesterton (5-6)
3/31 (L) 1-5 at Munster (5-5)
4/3 (L) 1-11 at Highland (4-4)
4/6 (W) 7-1 at North Newton (2-4)
4/7 (W) 15-0 (5 inn.) at Kankakee Valley (6-3)
4/11 (L) 4-9 Griffith (6-3)
4/12 (W) 6-5 Bishop Noll (4-4)
4/14 (W) 4-3 HEBRON (5-3)
4/16 (Mon) 0-0 at BOONE GROVE
4/18/ (Wed) Lowell (6-4) 4:45 PM
4/19/ (Thurs) at Beecher, Ill.
4/20/ (Fri.) at LA CROSSE 5:00 PM

CROWN POINT Invitational
tentative schedule
4/21 (Sat) Andrean (5-1) 10:00 AM
4/21 (Sat.) Crown Point (6-1)1 p.m.
4/21 (Sat.) Wheeler (5-3) 4 p.m.

4/23 (Mon) KOUTS
4/24 (Tues.) Wheeler
4/27 (Fri.) at SOUTH CENTRAL - 5:00 PM
4/30 (Mon) WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
5/1/ (Tues) Rensselaer - 5:00 PM

Twin Lakes Invitational (draw to be announced)
5/4 (Fri) pool play game - p.m.
5/5 (Sat.) pool play game - a.m.
5/5 (Sat.) pool play game - p.m.

5/8 (Tues.) at MORGAN TOWNSHIP
5/18 (Fri.) at Whiting 5:00 PM

KANKAKEE VALLEY (3A) Sectional
5/21 (Mon.) IHSAA Sectionals
5/26 (Sat.) IHSAA Sectionals
 
5/29 (Tues.) Regional championship game (p.m.)

6/2 (Sat.) 3A Twin Lakes Semistate

6/9 (Sat.) IHSAA State Finals

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Revised: April 19, 2012.