Lady Bulldogs take double-header from Lowell, 6-4 and 2-1

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Lowell (2-7)	2	0	0	0	1	0	1	4	5	3
Crown Point (4-4)	0	0	0	5	0	1	-	6	8	1

GAME ONE - 4-19-3 in CROWN POINT - sunny, 72 degrees
WP - Lacy Holevis (3-4) CG No. 7, 4Ks, 3 walks
LP - Kristen O'Connell (1-3) CG, 4, 1K, 0 walks

Lowell (4 singles, triple, 3 walks)
Tiffany Meyers (L) Triple, single 2 RBIs

Crown Point (6 singles, double, triple, one stoeln base)
Kelly Harlow (CP) Triple, RBI
Sarah Zondor (CP) 3 singles, 2 RBIs
Kendra Rather (CP) Single, sac bunt

CROWN POINT (4-19-2003) -- At times Saturday, it looked like Lowell would beat Crown Point. The Red Devils led in both games and were within striking distance in the final at-bat. But the Bulldogs went home with wins of 6-4 and 2-1 and some redemption after a poorly played 6-5 loss to LaPorte two days earlier.

"We were horrible against LaPorte," said CP coach Chris Pepa. "Ten errors. I don't know what it is. In the past four years, we always have trouble out there. I don't know if it's the long bus ride. We do fine against them here, but out there we never seem to do well."

Lowell left with a 2-8 record but a continued understanding as they completed a third of the season that, with a young team, success will take time.

"This was one of the better games we've played," said Lowell coach Pete Iussig after the first contest. "A couple of games this year we haven't been in at all."

Lowell led the first game 2-0 after Tiffany Meyers' RBI triple and Amber Roberts run-scoring single against winning pitcher Lacy Holevis (3-4) in the first inning in the 10 a.m. game. CP rallied in the fourth against Lowell senior right-hander Kristen O'Connell (1-3). Junior Kelly Harlow started the rally with an RBI triple and Jen McMullin tied the game with a double to right center. A wild pitch moved McMullin to third base. She scored when catcher Nicole Johnson threw wildly to first base on Wendy Kurcz' bunt. CP sensed a weakness and continued to bunt.

Kendra Rather bunted Kurcz to third base and Lowell chose not to throw to first on Mallory Springman's bunt, fearing the runner scoring from third.

A wild pitch then scored the 4-2 run anyway and Sarah Zondor's single to center made it 5-2. Lowell had runners on base in each of the last three innings but could not come closer than 6-4.
Lowell is still putting their team together.

"Six of our starting eight are freshmen or sophomores," Iussig said. "We used a little bit of a different lineup today because of the double-header but we're a pretty young team out there and it shows."

In game two, highly-regarded Lowell freshman right-hander Cristin Just (1-3) battled CP senior Erin Hostinsky (2-0) into the seventh inning where Bulldog junior Cathy Yokovich won the game with an RBI single.

"That's the best they've looked in two years," Iussig said of Crown Point. "They put the ball in play and they played pretty well defensively."

Pepa would agree except for that game with LaPorte, the only black mark on CP's first nine games before Easter Sunday.

"I don't know what happens to us out there," she said. "We looked okay today."

DOG NOTES: The Red Devils lost 12-4 to Bishop Noll on Thursday (April 17), giving up six runs in the seventh inning. Freshman Carrie Shelhart, batting in the leadoff position, had three of the Devils' five hits.

"Shelhart and Liz Martin (Lowell's freshman 1-2 batters) have been on base in every game no matter who we've played," Iussig said. "That's not our problem."

Lowell's Heather Stevens has made an impact with the Devils, pitching a seven-inning, 11 strikeout complete game against Kankakee Valley . In three appearances (12 innings) Steven has given up just one run. "She's got a couple of junk pitches. I was about to bring her in two different times today. She relieved at Valpo. They didn't get anything in two innings. She's relieved against a couple of good teams and they don't hit her hard. She's only got a couple of pitches but she's good for a couple of innings.

"She had double knee surgery. She went down to Indianapolis and she had the surgery where they take a ligament out of one leg and put it in another. That was coming along well but she had to have a third operation." Iussig added, "Basically she's had three knee operations."

"She's a back up outfielder and I have to apologize to her because I can't put her out there because I need her to warm up in case she has to go in to pitch."

While they could be a dangerous playoff team with the two slap hitters at the top of the lineup, Lowell will spend this regular season building for the future.

"We've got a very good freshman class," said Iussig. "I've got three of them with me but the JV is beating everybody by 10 runs. Our eighth grade team has three really good players. The seventh grade has no great players but they have no weaknesses. They're all fundamentally sound and they play well together. The fifth grade is like the freshman. That's another real good class. That's the one I'm going out with. My daughter will be playing by then. Hopefully, soccer and volleyball. Sports I know nothing about. I'll just go watch her."

Crown Point (5-4)
Head Coach Chris Pepa - 2002: 12-16 - DAC Games in CAPS

4-7: at Morton (Canceled - snow)
4-9: Griffith (postponed)
4-9: 11-1 (5) Hebron (3-4)

Chieftain Invitational (Dowagiac, Mich.)
4-12: 2-3 (8 innings) at (Div. III) No. 10 Dowagiac, Michigan (6-1)
4-12: 5-1 Walled Lake, Michigan (3-2)
4-12: 1-5 (Div. III) No. 1 Kalamazoo (Mich) Christian (7-1)

4-14: 0-1 Class 3A No. 4 Lake Central (6-1)
4-15: 9-3 at MERRILLVILLE (3-6)
4-17: 5-6 at LaPORTE (3-3)
4-19: 6-4 Lowell (1-3)
4-19: 2-1 Lowell (2-8)

4-21 (M) MICHIGAN CITY (2-4) 4:30 p.m.
4-23 (W) PORTAGE (4-2) 4:30 p.m.
4-25 (F) HOBART (6-2) 4:30 p.m.
4-26 (S) Logansport (2 games) 11 a.m.
4-29 (Tu) at VALPARAISO (3-5) 4:30 p.m.

5-1 (Th) at CHESTERTON (6-1) 4:30 p.m.
5-2 (F) Andrean (10-0) 4:30 p.m.
5-3 (S) at Hanover Central (6-2) 10 a.m.
5-5 (M) MERRILLVILLE (2-5) 4:30 p.m.
5-7 (W) LaPORTE (3-3) 4:30 p.m.
5-9 (F) at MICHIGAN CITY (2-3) 4:30 p.m.
5-12 (M) at Munster (5-1) 4:30 p.m.
5-13 (Tu) at PORTAGE (4-2) 4:30 p.m.
5-15 (Th) at HOBART (6-2) 4:30 p.m.
5-20 (Tu) VALPARAISO (3-5) 4:30 p.m.
5-22 (Th) CHESTERTON (6-1) 4:30 p.m.
5-23 (F) Highland (5-1) 4:30 p.m.

MERRILLVILLE (4A) SECTIONAL
5-26 (M) quarterfinals - 5 p.m.
5-27 (Tu) quarterfinals - 5 p.m.
5-30 (Th) semifinals - 5 p.m.
5-31 (F) championship (TBA)

MERRILLVILLE (4A) REGIONAL
6-7 (S) semifinals - 10 a.m.
6-7 (S) championship - 7 p.m.

2003 STATE SOFTBALL FINALS
6-13 (F) 4A semifinals - 6:30 p.m.
6-13 (S) 4A championship - 5 p.m.

Lowell (2-8, 1-2 LAC)
Head Coach Pete Iussig - 2002: 14-15 - LAC Games in CAPS

3-28:   2-7 Chesterton (5-1)
4-5:    3-6 at Valparaiso (3-5)
4-9:    8-0 Kankakee Valley (2-6)
4-10:   0-11 MUNSTER (5-1)
4-14:   0-2 at Hobart (6-2)
4-15: 11-0 CLARK (0-8)
4-16: 1-6 at Portage (5-3)
4-17: 4-12 BISHOP NOLL (4-4)
4-19: 4-6 Crown Point (5-4)
4-19: 1-2 Crown Point (5-4)

4-21: at GAVIT- 4:30 p.m.
4-22: at South Newton
4-23: Hanover Central (6-2)
4-24: GRIFFITH (6-3)
4-28: Lake Central (7-1)
4-29: at Hammond (3-5)
5-1: LAKE STATION (0-6)
5-6: at WHITING (4-0)
5-8 : CALUMET (4-4)
5-12: MERRILLVILLE (2-6)
5-13: at HIGHLAND (5-1)
5-14: Wheeler (5-2)
5-15: MORTON(4-5)
5-20 at ANDREAN (10-0)
5-21 Boone Grove (1-5)

5-24: Penn Invitational - 3 games - 9 a.m.

MERRILLVILLE (4A) SECTIONAL
5-26 (M) quarterfinals - 5 p.m.
5-27 (Tu) quarterfinals - 5 p.m.
5-30 (Th) semifinals - 5 p.m.
5-31 (F) championship (TBA)

MERRILLVILLE (4A) REGIONAL
6-7 (S) semifinals - 10 a.m.
6-7 (S) championship - 7 p.m.

2003 STATE SOFTBALL FINALS
6-13 (F) 4A semifinals - 6:30 p.m.
6-13 (S) 4A championship - 5 p.m.