Lady Devils split games with 4A "Centrals," losing 5-0 to LC and beating Benton 8-3

A USA-365 special report by Mark Smith

5-23-2004

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
LOWELL (16-8)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
Lake Central (22-3)	0	0	0	3	0	2	-	5	6	0

May 19, 2004, 80 degrees at Lake Central

WP - Beth Toyias (13-0) 8th CG, 5th shut out, 15Ks, 1 walk
LP - Heather Stevens (2-4) CG, 6Ks, 1 walk

Carrie Shelhart (LOWELL) 2 singles
Stacy Adamski (LC) Triple, walk, RBI
Lisa Gulick (LC) Double, single, RBI
Jessa Chamberlain (LC) Single, 2 RBIs

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Benton Central (17-8)	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	3	5	2
LOWELL (17-8)	2	0	2	3	0	1	-	8	11	0

May 20, 2004, 80 degrees at Lowell

WP - Ryssa Nord (1-0) 1K, 5 walks
LP - Kelly Minier (4-5) 3 Ks, 0 walks,

Carrie Shelhart (LOWELL) 2 singles, 3 runs scored
Kelly Johnson (CP) 2 triples, single, 2 RBIs
Liz Martin (L) 2 singles
Chelsie Stacy (BC) 2 triples, 2 runs scored

LOWELL (5-21-2004) - Lowell fielded a team of six sophomore and a freshman in back of senior Heather Stevens on the road Wednesday against two-time big school state finalist Lake Central. The Red Devils (17-8) needed to see just how rough the competition can get in next week's Class 4A Lake Central Sectional. Lowell saw what they needed see. LC senior left-hander Beth Toyias (13-0) struck out the first seven Devils to face her and shut out Lowell 5-0.

"I was really happy with the way we played today," said Lowell coach Pete Iussig. "We didn't beat ourselves. We played maybe the best defensive game I've seen us play in a couple of years. The little Stevens girl battled her heart out. She walked two and one scored. "I'm real proud of them. After she struck out the first seven girls, we didn't back away. She had more strikeouts after that, but I could see in their face that the girls wanted to bat. I had girls asking me for a chance to bat and sometimes that doesn't happen."

Toyias takes some getting used to. On LC's 'Senior Day', the final regular season home game, the 5-10 lefty stopped Lowell on three base hits. But the Devils were never out of the game until LC added the two final runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Lowell put two runners on base in the fifth and sixth innings but could not convert, being shut out for the third time this season.

"I honestly thought I would start the season using three pitchers the way Munster is doing," said LC coach Keith Hauber who was the announcer for LC's pre-game ceremonies honoring their eight seniors. "But the way she started throwing two hitters and one-hitters. I'd be crazy to pull her out. Our other two pitchers (Katie Golden and Brittany Gard) are outstanding and people will see that next year."

Toyias has not allowed more than two runs in any start this season. She was 3-0 with one no-decision against contenders Chesterton and Portage as LC rolled to a 14-0 record and the DAC title.

But Lowell had them in a scoreless game in the fourth inning before junior No. 3 hitter Katie Mitchell singled and junior Stacy Adamski sliced a line drive RBI triple to right field. Lisa Gulick's line drive single to center field made it 2-0. Pinch runners Natalie Balough and Michelle Nero worked a double steal to make it 3-0 two outs later.

Junior Amber Roberts single and a walk to Megan Wilbourn in the fifth inning hinted at a rally but Toyias got Lowell sophomore Whitney Magley to pop up and struck out Stevens.

In the sixth, Carrie Shelhart dropped a bunt single and Kelly Johnson grounded a hit to deep short with two out. But Toyias caught Roberts line drive back at her to end that inning.

Lowell has been hurt by the loss of sophomore Nicole Fletcher to a season ending illness and their offense has suffered somewhat. But the move of outfielder Kelly Johnson to the No. 3 slot in the batting order has helped. Johnson, a speedy freshman, had nine hits in four games this week against Crown Point, Boone Grove, LC and Benton Central. Another sophomore, Whitney Magley, has moved into left field adding even more speed to an already fast Lowell squad. And a move that should pay off down the line.

"She just kinda played her way into the lineup," said Iussig. "She's doing very well. I've got most of the best sophomores with me (on the varsity) and the JV is still 21-3. They lost 1-0 today. The JV is mostly sophomores too. It's a huge class. The (Ryssa) Nord girl keeps them in the game. She does a nice job pitching and they really hit the ball. "When Fletcher went down this year, we didn't have any backup infielders. Next year, it'll be a run for your money at just about every spot."

But Iussig is positive about next week as well as next year.

"Our draw (a bye and Highland in the LC Sectional semifinals) is about as good as you can get," he said. "We could have drawn East Chicago. We had 10 hits against her earlier. Bishop Noll hit her. I think we have a good chance."

DEVIL DETAILS: Lowell's season-ending trip to Penn will be a double-header against Class 3A Pendleton Heights and 4A Penn at Penn if scheduled rains hold off. The Red Devils schedule got much tougher in the final few weeks and they ended up playing one of northwest Indiana's toughest schedules. Lowell faced 10 foes with 19 wins or more and the final two weeks was loaded up.

"It's been something like 11 games in 13 days," said coach Pete Iussig. "That happened when they changed the conference (the LAC expanded to 16 teams this year) around.

LC coach Keith Hauber lost some nonconference games when his school entered the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) as his girls had to play 14 league games. But Hauber says it has worked out.

"We love being in a conference," he said. "We still have all the biggies. We still go to McCutcheon. We still go to Boonville and play Castle. We still go to Carmel but this year it got rained out. The only team I regret losing is Penn. They're always good. We might drop Homewood-Flossmoor. They're a good team, too. But Penn might be a regional opponent.

Iussig says that sophomore starter Nicole Fletcher, stricken with mononucleosis three weeks ago, will not be back this year.

"She played catch with her sister for about two minutes yesterday and then slept for about 10 hours," Iussig reported. "She was having a great year. But (Megan) Wilbourn is doing a great job defensively over there. She doesn't hit like Fletcher, but I can't ask for anything more on defense."

Beth Toyias has pitched a 2-1 complete-game win at state superpower McCutcheon (26-5), a 1-0 win at Chesterton (20-5) and a 6-2 two-hit complete game at Portage (21-5-1). It's fun to win at home but no pitcher in this part of the state has three road wins of that caliber.

"She got a lot better in the offseason," said Hauber of Toyias, who basically sat behind all-stater Brooke Baker, who pitched 200 innings this season as a freshman at Purdue.

"She knew she would have the opportunity this season and that's why she worked harder. She showed a great work ethic this year and it's paid off. She's been very motivated and she's made the most of her opportunities."

Hauber says that many of his girls have backups who are just as good.

"All these girls are stars on their summer teams," he said. "People asked me do I have a summer team. Heavens no. I don't want one. I'd rather they go their own way and be their own star. And be the clutch performer. We've got Alyssa Duncan batting seventh with four home runs and 18 RBIs."

Hauber can't explain why his team has hit 13 home runs.

"It's not just us," said Hauber. "Munster has two girls with five home runs. Yerga and Gibbs. You could find a 10-year period where we didn't have 10 home runs. It's amazing. I don't think our kids even believe it. They're not trying to hit home runs. They're just trying to hit it hard and it's going out. I think it's the technology in bats. The ball is just jumping off the bats."

LOWELL (17-8)
Coach Pete Iussig (15th year)
13-15 (2003), 14-15 (2002), 21-9 (2001), 24-10-1 (2000), 23-9 (1999)
Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) games in CAPS

March 27 (L) 3-4 (13 inn.) at Chesterton (20-5)
April 3 (W) 7-5 Valparaiso (12-15)
April 5 (L) 2-4 Portage (21-4-1)
April 6 (W) 23-0 at LAKE STATION (3-17)
April 8 (L) 6-2 HIGHLAND (19-5-1)
April 13 (W) 16-0 CALUMET (2-0)
April 15 (W) 10-3 HOBART (14-10)
April 19 (W) 21-0 GAVIT (3-16)
April 20 (Rain) South Newton (8-15)
April 21 (W) 4-1 at Hanover Central (21-6)
April 22 (W) 5-1 KANKAKEE VALLEY (7-13)
April 27 (W) 7-5 at MORTON (18-8)
April 29 (S) 6-7 ANDREAN (25-3)

May 4 (W) 8-0 at CLARK (3-15-2)
May 6 (W) 5-3 at GRIFFITH (16-13)

Twin Lakes Invitational
May 7 (L) 1-2 Merrillville (14-13)
May 8 (L) 0-3 at Twin Lakes (15-10)
May 8 (W) 9-1 Frontier (8-16)

May 10 (W) 3-1 at Merrillville (14-13)
May 11 (W) 15-4 at BISHOP NOLL (13-12)
May 12 (W) 5-4 at WHEELER (14-13)
May 13 (L) 0-5 MUNSTER (23-2)
May 14 (F) WHITING (20-5) canceled
May 17 (W) 7-6 Crown Point (7-18)
May 18 (W) 13-1 at Boone Grove (6-18)
May 19 (W) 0-5 at Lake Central (22-3)
May 20 (W) 8-3 Benton Central (18-7)

Penn Invitational
May 22 (S) vs. Pendleton Heights (17-8)
May 22 (S) at Penn (18-7)

Lake Central (4A) Sectional
May 27 (Th) vs. Highland (19-5-1) 5 p.m.
May 29 (Sat) vs. Munster (23-2) or LC (23-3) 10 a.m.

Merrillville (4A) Regional
June 5 (S) semifinals - 10 a.m.
June 5 (S) championship - 7 p.m.