Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
LOWELL (3-0)	2	3	0	1	0	2	1	9	9	0
Valparaiso (1-2)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	6

VALPARAISO (4-04-2009) When you find out they have a team full of juniors, you might think about saying that Lowell is a year away from championship contention.  Don't tell them that.  The Red Devils recorded their third consecutive shutout Saturday, blanking Valparaiso 9-0 in 40 degree sunshine in Porter County.

Junior Lauren Wells, who shut out Chesterton on March 28 to begin the season, pitched seven more scoreless innings Saturday as the green-clad Vikings contributed six errors to the visitors' winning cause.

I don't know if the Devils (3-0) have really been challenged as of yet, but I don't know if they expected to be undefeated and unscored upon after three games, either.

"We were able to do a few things early," said coach Pete Iussig.  "We executed a squeeze bunt and a couple of other things.  I was happy with that.  Then, after we got ahead 5-0, we didn't really want to do anything else.  Lauren pitched very well again.  Coach (Jim) Chancellor called a great game.  He calls the pitchers."

Lowell got some breaks in the first inning as leadoff batter Jacki Fletcher reached base on an error by Valpo third baseman Amber Shuta.  Lowell's Katherine Allert then singled to left and the ball got past left fielder Natalie Novello.  Fletcher scored and Lowell led 1-0 with the game less than two minutes old.

With Allert at third base one out later, Wells laid down a bunt down the third base line and Allert scored without a play.

The Vikings, who have lost to Boone Grove and defeated Calumet, were shaky in the field in the second inning as well.  Lowell's Amanda Underwood lined a hit into short left center and hustled it into a double.  One out later, Nicole Sgouroudis sliced an RBI base hit into left center to make it 3-0.  Brittany Carlson's ground ball bounced off the leg of Valpo first baseman Erin Gabriele for an error and when Fletcher hit a slow tap to pitcher, Valpo's Casey Crozier had no play and the bases were loaded.  With the bases loaded, Lowell's Megan Bolanowski sliced a two-run hit to right field and the Devils had a 5-0 lead.

Meanwhile Wells was meeting every challenge.  Valpo freshman Baylee Williams doubled to lead off the first inning, but she was thrown out at the plate one out later after a ground ball to Lowell first baseman Brooke Kuiper.  The Vikings got two singles in the second inning, but Wells got Natalie Novello to ground out to end the inning.  Valpo had just two singles after the second inning as Wells struck out 10 of the 27 batters she faced.

"We just made a lot of mistakes," said Valpo coach Kathy Levandowski.  "Casey (starting pitcher Casey Crozier) is fine.  If we'd made the plays, this is a close game.  But Lowell is good. They've got five Division I players."

I don't know if Lowell has five Division I players (seniors Allert and Wells are committed to D-1 schools and at least three Lowell juniors are college prospects), but the Devils do have Division I smiles up and down the roster.  Lowell isn't hitting the ball that well yet.  The biggest thing you notice about the Devils is that they are high-spirited.  That juice is going to have to stay fresh when the hard times come.

"Jessica didn't know if she wanted to come out for the team this year," Iussig said of Jessica Schiessle.  "I said, 'You think about it and come on out if you want to.  Today, I heard her just talking and she said, "I really love this team.  That means a lot to me because she wasn't even sure she wanted to come out."

NOTES:  Lowell coach Pete Iussig was walking without a cane three weeks after his hip replacement surgery.  He did not coach third base as he usually does (assistant coach Jim Chancellor coached third), but he did visit the mound for a talk with pitcher Lauren Wells, and other than being a bit wobbly, he seems to be recovering very quickly.

It's probably risky to judge pitching in cold weather because the hitters are at such a disadvantage.  But Lowell pitching had 37 strikeouts in 21 scoreless innings after three games.  Jacki Fletcher struck out 13 in the 9-0 win over Merrillville on March 30, a game where Katherine Allert and Megan Bolanowski had back-to-back home runs.

Iussig batted Katherine Allert first in the opening 2-0 win over Chesterton, but he went with Jacki Fletcher leading off and Allert second at Valparaiso.

"I think I'm going to leave it like that because I'm not sure Jacki's comfortable batting second," Iussig explained.  "I don't know why, but I want her to bat where she's comfortable."

Valpo relief pitcher Casey Earl made her varsity debut Saturday against Lowell.  She gave up only four hits in five innings, but she also walked five and threw four wild pitches.

"Her hand was fine," VHS coach Kathy Levandowski said afterwards.  "She was just nervous.  It isn't that cold.  She'll be fine.  This was her first varsity game."

Levandowski wished Lowell and Iussig well, but she admitted, "We don't really care about Lowell right now.  We're just trying to get ready for the DAC (Duneland Athletic Conference).

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2009 Lowell softball (3-0)
Coach Pete Iussig (19 years) 20-10 in 2008
 NW Crossroads Conference games in CAPS
3-28 (W) 2-0 Chesterton (1-1)
3-30 (W)  9-0 Merrillville (1-2)
4-4 (W)  9-0 at Valparaiso (1-2)

4-6 (M) Lake Central (3-0) 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 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 a.m.
4-21 (Tu) at GRIFFITH (night) 7 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 or 7 p.m.
5-27 (W) Semifinals - 5 or 7 p.m.
5-29 (F) championship
Class 4A Merrillville Regional
6-6 (Sat) Semifinals - 11 a.m. or 1 p.m.
6-6 (Sat) Championship - 7 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: April 23, 2009.