Northwest Indiana Class 3A and 4A

Regional Previews

6-04-2009

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

3A Twin Lakes Regional
6-6-9, Twin Lakes - 11 a.m.
ANDREAN (25-7) vs. St. Joseph's (18-12-1)
Gavit (8-10) vs.Western (13-11)

MONTICELLO (6-06-2009) Most high school sports come down to one day and in softball, it's the regional. If you win twice and go to the state finals, you had a great year. But three teams go home and start an immediate summer vacation. This is the day Andrean has prepared for. The Niners played in five multiple teams Saturday tournaments (invitationals at Crown Point, Twin Lakes, Marian, LaPorte and Dowagiac, Michigan) just so they can be ready this Saturday. These girls are on the bus more than drivers for Greyhound.

The Niners have always played in the Twin Lakes Invitational in Monticello because that's the Class 3A regional site. They know it well. There's not a lot of analysis due here. Andrean outscored three sectional foes by a combined score of 25-12 and they have home run champion Audrey Bickel (11 HRs) to support junior right-hander Alyssa Moseley (16-4).

St. Joseph's upset Marian (25-4) in sectional play but Marian was two players short with injuries. Western (13-11) is here largely because Benton Central defeated favored host Twin Lakes (23-5) and then lost 4-2 to Western. Gavit is here because there are no quality teams in their sectional. The truth is, St. Joseph's is South Bend's version of Andrean, a small Catholic school with a big sports reputation. They aren't intimidated or overmatched because they play everybody. The Indians also will take great heart in the earlier meeting, even though Andrean won it. Sophomore right-hander Jenny Bals (15-6) struck out 12 Andrean batters in that game and she will arrive in Monticello believing she can do it again after 30 strikeouts and three complete games in sectional play. Bals pitched a no-hitter against Culver Academy (10-10) in the sectional semifinals in South Bend.

Alyssa Moseley did not pitch against St. Joseph's back in April. Sister Morgan Moseley was the starting and winning pitcher. Catcher Kelly Ryan had three base hits in that game. Western is not a strong team and Gavit is even less so. One note of caution. Andrean will be the 'road' team in BOTH games Saturday, no matter who they face. They will bat first and their opponents will bat last. With someone like Bickel and slap-hitting Sammy Serrato (48-92, .520 in 23 games) in the lineup, you always want to bat last.

The winner of the St. Joe-Andrean game will face a lesser team and they have to guard against taking them lightly. No need to apologize. Don't look a "gift horse" in the mouth here. The Twin Lakes regional winner plays Edgewood (25-1) or Gibson Southern (26-2) in the state semifinals on June 12, so there will be no yellow brick road to the state title. Andrean has prepared enough to win this regional. The 59ers may consider themselves the 'home team' here because they play 75% of their games on the road and they've been to Twin Lakes once this season and twice in 2008. The Niners have paid the cost to be the boss and anything less than a title Saturday will be a major disappointment.

Class 4A MERRILLVILLE Regional
6-6-2009, Merrillville - 10:00 a.m.
Penn (26-4) vs. Elkhart Memorial (23-6)
Portage (14-13) vs. LOWELL (21-10)

MERRILLVILLE (6-06-2009) It's a surprise Portage is here. The Indians barely survived Hobart 3-0 and Michigan City 2-1 in the Merrillville Sectional before bombing Chesterton 9-2 in the title game. The Indians needed three pitchers to defeat Michigan City in the quarterfinals, but first year coach Gil Arzola, a veteran of almost two decade of girls softball, is an experienced leader.

The Devils are likely to see a young up-and-comer named Hannah Smock, who pitched a shutout against Hobart and got the win against Chesterton. Memorial is a good team but I wouldn't worry abut the Chargers. If the other three teams here are being honest, they're all worried about Penn, the undefeated champion of the Northern Indiana Conference. The Kingsmen began the season 1-3 and they are now 26-4. Left-handed hitting leadoff batter Jenna Simon (.451) is reportedly the fastest player in the South Bend area with 24 stolen bases in 24 attempts during the regular season.

In the Lowell dugout Jessica Schiessle (2) is holding the bat as Megan Bolanowksi sits near the doorway. (All photos by Mark Smith)

Junior Lindsey Martin pitched two shutouts in sectional play, although, to be accurate, South Bend softball was not especially strong this year. Penn lost 3-2 to Elkhart Memorial in April, but the Kingsmen also lost to Lake Central (26-5) and Crown Point (24-4) and they may not be the same team now. Lowell pitching has not allowed more than four runs in any game this year and left-hander Lauren Wells (12-6) is coming off back-to-back playoff shutouts. If you have not seen left-handed pitching (I do not know of another lefty starting this season in Northwest Indiana), you need a couple of at bats to adjust. In a seven-inning softball game you may not get three at bats.

The Devils have three left-handed hitters at the top of the lineup and junior Jessica Schiessle has become a major trouble-maker batting in the second spot. Portage will be the home team in the Lowell-Portage game and that is always an issue. Also, the Indians lost 4-2 to Lowell in the final week of the regular season and that knowledge of their foe will help them this Saturday.

I know it doesn't matter, but on June 10, 2000, in the Merrillville regional semifinals, Portage rallied with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat Lowell 4-3 and go on to win the 2000 state title. Here's another piece of meaningless trivia: The last time Portage and Elkhart Memorial won 4A sectional championships, Lowell went to the state finals. The Devils defeated Memorial 3-2 in 10 innings and Portage was upset by South Bend Adams 1-0 in 2007.

Want one more? The last time Lowell went to the regional in 2007, they knew that victory meant a match with the state's top pitcher, Hamilton Southeastern star Morgan Melloh. Guess what? The winner of the Merrillville Regional faces the winner of the Avon regional. That should be top-ranked Avon with Jenny Ezparza (21-2, 0.08 ERA) who has an obscene 392 strikeouts in 173 innings.

If Lowell gets to the regional championship game Saturday night at 6:00 p.m., the Devils will be the home team, a major advantage against a Penn team that can create runs. The Kingsmen lost to LC, a team Lowell defeated twice. You can't favor anybody here over Penn. But the Devils, in their "Merrillville home away from home," will have a large fan following on a Saturday night in June. I can see a Red Devil upset here.

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