Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
CHESTERTON (0-1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
LOWELL (1-0)	1	1	0	0	0	0	-	2	4	4

LOWELL (3-28-2009) I have to be honest.  When the temperature is below 40 degrees, I secretly hope all games are postponed.  So I wasn't thrilled about the fact that clear skies and a dry field convinced Lowell to play Chesterton Saturday in the 2009 season softball opener for both schools.

But there was a lot to talk about after the Red Devils scored early and rode chilly 37-degree March winds to a  2-0 victory.

First of all, there was the 2009 debut of Lowell left-hander Lauren Wells.  The Red Devil junior, who has signed to play softball in college as a pitcher even though she's never really pitched for Lowell, showed why schools wanted her.  Against an admittedly young Chesterton squad, Wells struck out 14 of the 26 batters she faced, pitching a three-hit shutout.

"I pitched two games last year," Wells said afterwards.  "Boone Grove and Merrillville.  It was exciting today.  I was nervous, but when I'm nervous, it helps me.  I pitch for my travel (summer) team, but in high school, we had the two older (senior) pitchers last year.

Lowell scored in the first inning when Katherine Allert's pop-up was fumbled in short center by Chesterton shortstop Jaren Lynch.  Jacki Fletcher bunted Allert to second base and Megan Bolanowski walked.  Wells, batting cleanup, hit a flyball to right field.  Allert tagged up and went to third base, and when the throw went to third, Bolanowski attempted to take second.  As Chesterton chased Bolanowski in a rundown, Allert scored.

In the second inning, Lauren Corning's one out ground ball went through the legs of second baseman Kathleen Maple.  Lowell's Nicole Sgouroudis bunted Corning to second base and Corning scored on a base hit by junior rookie Brittany Carlson, who was batting on the varsity for the first time.

"I was thinking about that," she said later.  "I was freaking out a little.  Coach said that when you get out there, just take a deep breath.  It's always better when you just tunnel in on the coach at third."

'That coach at third' was not the fellow who usually is there for the Devils.  Head varsity coach Pete Iussig had hip replacement surgery on March 16.  He had not been at school since that day so he is not allowed to coach.  So longtime assistant coach Jim Chancellor was the interim head coach and the third base coach.

"It's a lot different at third than it is at first," Chancellar admitted.

Iussig was at the game and moving very well for a guy who just had major surgery.

"I went home that Wednesday and I feel good," Iussig said before the game.  "I haven't had any real pain at all.  Officially, I can't coach until I come back to school so I'm keeping the scorebook."

Chesterton coach Lou Ann Hopson was understanding about the first game loss.

"We had two errors (to give Lowell two runs).  We've got two freshmen on that (third base) side.  A sophomore in right who threw to three (third base) instead of throwing to two.  A sophomore in center field.  And a sophomore pitching and she was the best defensively."

"I'm happy.  Inside we looked really good.  When we got outside, it got ugly fast.  But yesterday, I asked them, 'are we better now than we were a week ago?'  They sad 'Yeah.'  Well, we need to be.  We've got some tough games coming up."

Other than that it was Wells, who, along with fellow junior Jacki Fletcher will share pitching duties for Lowell this season.  She moved the ball around in the strike zone well and dominated a very cold day that was meant for softball pitchers.

The most obvious factor in the game was the 20-man Lowell cheering section which ran between the varsity and junior varsity games, waving the Lowell flag and yelling encouragement to the players.  There were some Lowell football and baseball players, a lot of them with no shirts in freezing weather.

"I told the girls that this is great and I hope it swells to the entire bleachers," said Chancellar.  "But this can't be a distraction.  The girls were giggling and laughing and they can't let it distract from our game."

"Last year they started it," said Wells of the 'cheering section.'  "A small group of them.  They said they'd do it.  It's been great.  It was pretty cool.  They wore our jerseys in school and everything.  It was fun."

Jacki Fletcher was accused of aiding Lowell's 'noisy boys' in organizing the cheer block, charges she denied.

"They called me and asked what's that girl's (jersey) number and what do we call this girl," Fletcher said. "I kinda helped, but they totally organized it themselves.  They said they're tailgating before every game.  I gave them a schedule so they can tell their bosses and get those days off from work.  It's so much fun when they're here.  It's loud but it's fun."

Lowell's varsity has one senior in Katherine Allert and 12 juniors.  You could consider the lack of seniors a disadvantage when the Devils face senior-laden teams.  But there is another side to it.

"All the rest of the team is juniors," said Carlson.  "We have two juniors on JV.  I think it helps us.  We have a lot of togetherness."

Wells added, "We're all in the same class and we're all in the same classes in school.  We all get along pretty well."

Fletcher said, "Senior Night next year is going to be really fun.  This year it's just Katherine.  Next year, it'll be the entire varsity.  We're going to need some help from the JV that night."

DEVIL NOTES:  Either I don't know much about hip replacement surgery or Lowell coach Pete Iussig is making a remarkable start on his rehabilitation.  Iussig stood behind the dugout during the opener Saturday, March 28, 13 days after his surgery on March 16.

"I dont have any pain," said the Lowell coach who will be walking with the aid of a cane, but walking nonetheless.  "They tell me that I should be back to normal in three months."

Its already been decided that Lauren Wells is going to play softball at Eastern Michigan University.

"It happened over the fall," she said.  "I traveled and they picked me out.  I took a visit there and I loved it.  They offered me a full ride and I took it.  I'm going there to pitch."

Wells was the fourth pitcher for Lowell last year after then-seniors Kaitlyn Bolanowski, Alyssa Reed and teammate Jacki Fletcher (7-1 in 2008).

Lowell has a new player who is an old player.  Junior basketball player Jessica Schiessle did not play as a sophomore.  But she reached base twice and stole a base in the season opener Saturday.

"If you see her hit in the cage," said coach Jim Chancellar, "she looks like Jacki (.400 hitter Fletcher) in the batting cage.  But her swing was timid out here.  I told her: Bring your cage swing.  What difference does it make if you swing and miss if you swung hard or soft?"

"I think she regretted not playing last year.  She was at almost all of our games.  She's a great kid and she's got the speed to help us in the outfield.  She's got a great arm.  Jess is going to be a very valuable member of the team."

Lowell's Jacki Fletcher wanted the 'noisy boys' cheering section to avoid harassing the other team.

"After the game, I told them, just be positive for us," she said.  "Just be nice. They said, 'Alright, we'll work some stuff out.  I'm sure they'll go home and come up with some new cheers."

Chesterton is very young with three freshmen starting.

"You're going to make mistakes," Chesterton coach Lou Ann Hopson explained that she told her team.  "You can make the mistakes and bury your head in the sand or you can go on.  We could have hit better today.  We spent a lot of time this week working on that pitch (the rise) and we didn't do very well."

Hanover Central coach Larry McMillen, whose team faces both Chesterton and Lowell, was on hand to watch the first game of the season.  Hanover opens the season Thursday at River Forest.  They host Chesterton Saturday and Saturday's Hanover-Munster game has been switched to 2:00 p.m. 

Coach Pete Iussig moved senior Katherine Allert to the leadoff spot.

"She's our best base runner," he said.  "In that first inning, she took advantage of the throw to the wrong base.  That was why we've got her there.  She knows how to run the bases."

---

2009 Lowell softball (1-0)
Coach Pete Iussig (19 years) 20-10 in 2008
 NW Crossroads Conference games in CAPS
3-28 (W) 2-0 Chesterton
3-30 (M)  Merrillville - 4:30 p.m.
4-4 (S)  at Valparaiso - 11:00 a.m.
4-6 (M) Lake Central - 4:30 p.m.
4-7 (Tu) at KANKAKEE VALLEY - 4:30 p.m.
4-8 (W) at Boone Grove - 4:30 p.m.
4-9 (Th) at ANDREAN- 4:30 p.m.
4-11 (S) South Central - 11:00 a.m.
4-13 (M) HIGHLAND- 4:45 p.m.
4-15 (W) MUNSTER- 4:30 p.m.
4-18 (S) at Crown Point - 11:00 a.m.
4-21 (Tu) at GRIFFITH (night) 7:00 p.m.
4-22 (W) HANOVER CENTRAL- 4:30 p.m.
4-23 (Th) HOBART - 4:30 p.m.
4-27 (M) KANKAKEE VALLEY - 4:30 p.m.
4-29 (W) ANDREAN - 4:30 p.m.
5-1 (F) at HIGHLAND - 4:30 p.m.
5-2 (S) Pioneer at LOWELL (a.m.)
5-2 (S) West Lafayette at LOWELL (p.m.)
5-4 (M) at Bishop Noll - 4:45 p.m.
5-5 (Tu) at MUNSTER - 4:45 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.)

5-11 (M) GRIFFITH - 4:45 p.m.
5-13 (W) at HOBART - 4:30 p.m.
5-14 (Th) Wheeler - 4:30 p.m.
5-18 (M) Morton - 4:30 p.m.
5-19 (Tu) at Portage - 4:45 p.m.

Class 4A Sectional Two at Merrillville
5-25 (M) quarterfinals  - 5:00 or 7:00 p.m.
5-27 (W) Semifinals - 5:00 or 7:00 p.m.
5-29 (F) championship

Class 4A Merrillville Regional
6-6 (Sat)?Semifinals - 11:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.
6-6 (Sat)?championship - 7:00 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)

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Revised: March 30, 2009.