Lady Devils start 2006 softball season 2-0 with wins over KV, Chesterton

A USA-365 special report by Mark Smith

3-28-2006

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

March 25, 2006 - 48 degrees, sunny at Chesterton, IN

WP - Kaitlyn Bolanowski (2-0) 3 inn., 1 run, 2 hits, 0K, 0 walks
LP - Emily Lawson (0-1) CG, one earned run, 2K, 2 walks

LOWELL (2-0)
Kelly Johnson (SS) Double, RBI; Courtney Austgen (C) 2 singles

Chesterton (0-1)
Katie Stahura (CF) Single, walk, RBI

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

March 23, 2006 - 41 degrees in DeMotte, IN - season opener

WP - Kaitlyn Bolanowski (1-0) 4 inn., 1 hit, 3K, 0 walks
SAVE - Ryssa Nord - 3 inn, one hit 3K, 1 walk
LP - Jessica Dobson (0-1) C3 inn. 2Ks, 1 walk 4 hits

LOWELL (1-0)
Kelly Johnson (SS) Double, RBI; Courtney Austgen (C) Double, RBI
Nicole Fletcher (3B) 2 singles, RBI

Kankakee Valley (0-1)
Krystal Higgerson (ss) single
Amanda Villapando (C) single

CHESTERTON (3-25-2006) - Lowell didn't look all that good defensively Thursday and they didn't score as many runs as they should have. But that's not going to matter as much as it should to the Devils this year because Lowell softball has reached the hour of decision in 2006.

With seniors and regular in almost every position, the 'great scorekeeper' is not going to ask how, just how many? The answer Monday was 'enough.' Lowell (2-0) rallied in the late going against one of the larger schools on their schedule, edging Chesterton 3-2 to take a 2-0 record into spring break.

Back-to-back RBI hits by middle-of-the-order veterans Kelly Johnson and Courtney Austgen brought the Devils from behind and sophomore pitcher Kristen Bolanowski (2-0) was able to make it hold up as Lowell began a season where they have high hopes.

"Very high," said coach Pete Iussig afterwards. "We're tired of being the team that wins 20, is about third best in our conference and fourth or fifth in the area. But we're always out in the sectional. It's time to change that."

The Devils, who shut out KV 6-0 to begin the season Thursday (March 23), didn't play the kind of ball that's going to beat the top teams.

Chesterton, which is trying to replace three all-area girls who graduated last June, took a 1-0 lead when Dawn McClellan singled and advanced to second base on a wild pitch with two out. Katie Stahura then looped a short fly ball into left center which Lowell's Becca Nida watched go off the tip of her glove after a long run. McClellan scored for a 1-0 lead. Lowell rallied in the sixth when Katherine Allert walked on four pitches against Chesterton right-hander Emily Lawson.

After a sacrifice and a ground ball, Kelly Johnson lined an 0-1 pitch to the left center field fence for an RBI double to tie the game. Moments later Austgen sliced an 0-1 pitch into right center and Lowell had a lead they would not relinquish.

"That's who we want up there," said Iussig. "Kelly's not going to come through all the time, but she lives for chances like that. Courtney got some big hits for us last year and that's why she's batting cleanup."

Chesterton rallied in the sixth inning after a single and hit batter put two runners on with no one out against Bolanowski, a small right-hander who came on to start the fifth inning in relief of senior Ryssa Nord. With the bases loaded and one out, Chesterton's Brittany Richardson hit a sacrifice fly ball to left to make it 3-2. Left fielder Whitney Magley threw the ball to the plate trying to get the lead runner and the Trojans' other runners advanced to second and third. But ninth place hitter Alexis Paz hit a quick, low bouncer back to the pitcher and Bolanowski was able to hold the lead after six innings.

Bolanowski, who is making her varsity debut this season, ran the count to 2-0 on three different hitters in the final three innings before she got them out on ground balls or fly balls.

"Kaitlyn's problem is that she's better than she thinks she is," said Iussig. "She's being too fine early in the count. She went 2-0 on those hitters and then they hit the ball and we made the plays. She doesn't have to go to 2-0 to do that."

Lowell's infield gobbled up three ground balls in the seventh inning to preserve Bolanowski's second win of the season. The combination of Nord and Bolanowski has a good chance to be effective because they are significantly different in delivery and tempo.

"We just did this (split the game between two pitchers) for the first couple of games to break Bolanowski in. Against KV, she started and Ryssa came on in relief. Bolanowski was much better in that (KV) game."

Lowell didn't play like champions Monday but there was a sense of urgency when they trailed a game that a winning team must have. But it isn't going to matter how urgent they are if they don't win and win a lot.

"We're very confident," said second baseman Carrie Shelhart. "Our expectations are very high. This should be the year for us."

DEVIL NOTES: Coach Pete Iussig says that three-year pitcher Cristin Just will not be with the team this season.

"She's injured," says Iussig, "and she won't be back."

Saturday's home opener against Valparaiso has an unusual Saturday starting time of 3:00 p.m.

"They have SATs (scholastic aptitude tests) on Saturday," Iussig explained.

Chesterton was 27-3-1 last season but the 2005 game with Lowell was rained out more than once and never played.

The Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) Black Division will play a double round-robin this year meaning they will face every league team twice. One of the feature games of the regular season will be the April 29 home game against West Lafayette, which was 27-6 last season. West Lafayette, which is also nicknamed the Red Devils, features 20-game winner Brittany Stanley (20-4, 0.94 ERA).

At the Twin Lakes invitational, Lowell could play defending 4A state champion McCutcheon, which is led by all-stater shortstop Alicia Garza (.441 in 2005).

LOWELL (2-0)
Coach Pete Iussig - 21-10 in 2005

3/23 (W) 6-0 at Kankakee Valley
3/25 (W) 3-2 at Chesterton
4/1 (S)   Valparaiso -   3:00 p.m.
4/3 (M)  Portage    -     4:30 p.m.
4/4 (Tu)   Highland - 4:30 p.m.
4/6 (Th)  Andrean - 4:30 p.m.
4/11 (Tu) at Bishop Noll -- 4:30 p.m.
4/12 (W)   at Boone Grove - 4:30 p.m.
4/13 (Th)   Hobart 4:00 p.m.
4/15 (S)   Crown Point 11:00 a.m.
4/17 (M)  Munster -- 4:30 p.m.
4/19 (W)   at     Hanover Central - 4:30 p.m.
4/20 (Th)   at Griffith -   7:00 p.m.
4/25 (Tu)   Kankakee Valley 4:45 p.m.
4/27 (Th) at Highland - 4:45 p.m.
4/29 (S)   West Lafayette   9:00 a.m.
4/29 (S)    Pioneer    12 noon
5/02 (Tu)   Andrean - 4:30 p.m.
5/4    (Th) Bishop Noll -4:30 p.m.
5/5 (F) Twin Lakes Invitational   - 5:00 p.m. / 6:30 p.m.
5/6 (S) Twin Lakes Invitational - a.m. game
5/6   (S) Twin Lakes Invitational - p.m. game
5/8   (M)   at Merrillville    - 4:30 p.m.
5/9   (Tu)   at Hobart   - 4:30 p.m.
5/10 (W)   at Wheeler - 4:30 p.m.
5/11 (Th) at Munster - 4:30 p.m.
5/15 (M) at Morton. - 4:30 p.m.
5/16 (Tu) Griffith High School -- 4:45 p.m.
5/17 (W)   at   Lake Central 4:30 p.m.
Munster (4A) Sectional
5/22 (M) sectional quarterfinals
5/24 (W) sectional semifinals
5/26 (F) sectional championship
6/3 (S) Merrillville (4A) Regional semifinals
6/3 (S) Merrillville regional championship
6/9 (F) State semifinals (TBA) 6/8 p.m.
6/10 (S) 4A state championship 7 p.m.