Lady Red Devils' pitching no-hits Valpo girls for 3-1 win

A USA-365 special report by Mark Smith

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

Saturday, 4-2-2005 = 47 degrees in Valparaiso; Lowell girls' season opener

LOWELL (1-0) 1000 011 = 3-6-1
VALPARAISO (0-2) 1000 000 = 1-0-2

WP - Ryssa Nord (1-0) 2k, 1 walk (2 innings)
Cristin Just (Save #1) 1 K, 2 walks
LP - Alisha Ellenberger (0-2) CG, 4K, 1 walks

LOWELL (1-0)

Nicole Fletcher (L) Triple, 2 singles, RBI
Cristin Just (L) Double
Kelly Johnson (L) Single, run scored
Becca Nida (L) Bunt single, RBI

VALPARAISO (0-2)

Brittney Kubar (V) Sac. Fly, RBI

VALPARAISO (4-2-2005) - Lowell's 2005 season softball opener came a week later than the Red Devils had hoped but the results fit the plan. The Red Devils used three pitchers who combined on a no-hit game and created three runs with bunts and speed to turn back Valparaiso 3-1 in the cold and the sun and the wind Saturday behind Valparaiso high school.

Junior Nicole Fletcher had three hits in three different scoring rallies while senior Vanessa Essenberg and juniors Ryssa Nord and Cristin Just allowed five walks but no hits as the Red Devils enjoyed a belated, but beneficial opening day.

“It wasn't bad,” said coach Pete Iussig. “For as windy as it was, I thought there might be a few other misplayed balls.”

Lowell may have developed some pitching depth. Lowell starter Vanessa Essenberg walked two and gave up an unearned run in three innings. Ryssa Nord allowed just a walk in two innings and junior Cristin Just gave up just two walks in two innings for the save. Valparaiso does not figure to have a good hitting squad but Nord especially, showed improvement, catching two Vikings with change ups for third strikes.

Lowell scored an unearned run quickly when Kelly Johnson, a .427 hitter from a year ago, smacked an infield hit to deep short. Nicole Fletcher thEn beat out a slow roller to shortstop Brittney Kubar with Johnson rounding second and heading for third. Valpo first baseman Kaitlyn Bullman threw wildly past third base and Johnson scored the 1-0 run.

Valparaiso (0-2) got the run back in the bottom of the first after a leadoff walk to Chally Clem. Bullman laid down a bunt and Essenberg's throw was wide of first base. Erin Knauff's ground ball and Kubar's flyball tied the game 1-1.

Lowell took the lead in the sixth inning when Fletcher, who missed the 2004 playoffs with injuries, lined a triple to right center. Fletcher did not tag up and could not score on Courtney Austgen's line drive to right fielder Amy Horvell. But Iussig pinch hit Becca Nida and Nida's two out bunt single broke the tie.

In the seventh inning, Fletcher's RBI single made it 3-1 for Lowell. Lowell twice had runners at third who did not tag up on balls hit to the outfield.

“I'll take the blame for the first one,” said Iussig. “I told her (Fletcher) to go. I don't know what I was thinking out there.”

“We were anxious today,” said Iussig. “We even had a little practice this morning.”

Lowell will be a very difficult team to defense because they may start as many as four or five left-handed hitters wrapped around four good-hitting rightys in Kelly Johnson, Nicole Fletcher, Cristin Just and Courtney Austgen.

The Devils' infield of Sidney Schuttrow at first base, Carrie Shelhart at second, Johnson at short and Fletcher at third is obviously far above average.

“Probably as a group,” said Iussig, who has coached Lowell for 15 years, “this is the strongest. I can say that I've had a girl here or a girl there who is better, but as a group, this might eventually be the best I've had.”

Lowell will need all the offense and defense they can get against a schedule which includes state ranked teams in all four classes including 1A Pioneer, 2A Hanover Central, 3As Andrean and West Lafayette and 4As Munster and Lake Central.

DEVIL NOTES: Valparaiso pitcher Alicia Ellenberger (0-2) will pitch virtually every game for the Vikings after sophomore right-hander Autumn Blankenbaker suffered a torn ACL in practice last week. Who will be the No.2 pitcher?

“That's a good question,” said coach Kathy Levandowski. “We only have two seniors and they're playing different positions from last year. We had a freshman (Angel Fraley) in left field. We just have a very young team.”

Valpo lost the season opener 1-0 to Griffith last Thursday.

Lowell will not make up the March 26 rainout against Chesterton this Saturday. “We talked about April 9 but when I got off the phone, I realized that's the date the boys (baseball team,) play Boone up in Gary. I suppose we should let the girls have that day off.”

Up NEXT...

LOWELL at Highland
Thursday, April 7 - 4:30 p.m.

HIGHLAND (4-7-2005) The Trojans pitcher Beth Haley (1-1) will get a big test against the slap and slice hitting style of Lowell. Lowell eliminated Highland in the state tournament in 2004 and the Devils returned far more starters than Highland did. This game falls in the middle of a half dozen contests that Lowell should win before they host neighbor and rival Hanover Central on April 20. The Red Devils appear confident, but they want to get used to winning, especially away from home.

LOWELL at Calumet
Tuesday, April 12 - 4:30 p.m.

GARY (4-12-2005) This is one of those unfortunate Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) crossover mismatches. Calumet did beat Morton 9-6 on March 29, but it was a game where both sides committed five official errors.

Calumet right-hander Amanda Cole struck out eight in seven innings, but she allowed six hits and four walks. You need a strikeout pitcher against Lowell because you can't let them put the ball in play consistently. Lowell will have to make a lot of mistakes to let Calumet stay in this game.

Hobart at LOWELL
Thursday, April 14 - 4:30 p.m.

LOWELL (4-14-2005) The Brickies were thought to be stronger after a 10-3 win over Crown Point, but we'll have to think again after a 14-3 loss to LaPorte Saturday. Hobart used a lot of bunts to shake the young CP defense but that won't work on Lowell which has its best defenders in the infield. Right-hander Sarah Bodhaine, who did not pitch at LaPorte, is experienced against Lowell's slap hitters. But the senior is not an especially hard thrower and she'll have problems with the 2-3-4 batters in the Devils' order.

These are three games Lowell needs to win with much tougher competition arriving soon. The Red Devils will play five road games in a six-day span from April 28 to May 3, traveling to Andrean (May 28), Pioneer (at West Lafayette) and West Lafayette (May 30, Whiting (April 2) and Clark (May 3).