Lake Central upends Crown Point 7-1 in DAC girls softball

A USA-365 special report by Mark Smith

4-05-2008

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
LAKE CENTRAL (2-1, 1-0 DAC)	0	0	0	1	4	2	0	7	11	2
CROWN POINT (1-2, 0-1 DAC)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	3

Wednesday, April 2, 2008 - 50 degrees at CROWN POINT, IN

WP - Rachel Weaver (2-0) CG, 8K, 4 walks
LP - Jackie Beilfuss (1-2) 10K, 5 walks, 5 runs (5 innings)

LAKE CENTRAL (2-1) starters
Sam Michalski (2B) 3-for-4, 2 runs scored
Sarah Shields (SS) 1-for-3, sac bunt
Jen Kosinski (3B) 2-for-4, 2 RBIs
Allison Aguilera (CF) 0-for-4
Rachel Weaver (P) 1-for-3, double
Karissa Inglis (RF) 2-for-3, 3 RBIs
Marcy Penna (LF) 1-for-3
Danielle Tencza (C) 1-for-3
Brooke Polus (DP) 0-for-3

CROWN POINT (1-2) starters
Allison Adank (2B) 0-for-2, walk
Amber Pierce (CF) 0-for-2, walk
Amy Fairchild (C) 0-for-2, HBP
Jessica Martinez (SS) 0-for-3
Lindsay Gernenz (3B) 0-for-3
Jackie Beilfuss (P) 0-for-1, walk
Kara Gulvas (3B) 0-for-3
Amiee Favia (RF) 0-for-1, walk
Allison Amodeo (LF) 0-for-2

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	R	H	E
CROWN POINT (2-3)	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	3	6	1
MUNSTER (3-1)	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	4	6	0

Friday, April 4, 2008 - 51 degrees at MUNSTER, IN

WP - Elanor Kennedy (3-0) 0K, 1 walk ( 1 2/3 inn.)
SP - Grace Ispas (M) 7K, 1 walk
LP - Jackie Beilfuss (1-3) 6K, 2 walks, CG

CROWN POINT (2-3)
Allsion Amodeo (LF) Triple, run scored
Amber Pierce (CF) Double, RBI

MUNSTER (1-3)
Katelyn Chovanec (C) 2 singles, run scored
Erin Moss (SS) Single, 2 RBIs
Kara Curiosh (OF) 2 sac bunts, 2 stolen bases

MUNSTER, IN (4-02-2008) - Lake Central was the pre-season favorite in the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) and Wednesday afternoon at Crown Point they looked like it. Crown Point was supposed to be a contender in the DAC in 2008. Maybe even the second best team in the DAC. We're still waiting to see that.

Lake Central dominated Crown Pont 7-1 Wednesday to start the DAC campaign and it was more of the same. LC has defeated CP twice a year since the DAC went to a double-round robin schedule six years ago and the Lady Bulldogs were just not confident against their traditionally powerful neighbor.

"I would like to think it's not just the sight of blue and white uniforms," said CP's second year coach Brett Crutchfield, referring to LC's team colors. "These girls have been beaten so many times by Lake Central, it just seems like they don't believe they can win."

LC pitcher Rachel Weaver, the MVP of the Duneland Conference in 2007, pitched three hitless innings before LC took a 1-0 lead on a fourth inning RBI single by Karissa Inglis in the fourth. CP's Allison Adank reached base in the fourth inning when third baseman Sam Michalski fumbled her bunt and then threw it past first base. But Weaver retired Amber Pearce, Amy Fairchild and Jessica Martinez to end that threat.

In the fifth, Michalski and Sarah Shields singled with one out and Jen Kosinski bounced a ground ball into center field, scoring Shields to make it 2-0. Alison Aguilera hit a line drive to Adank, CP's second baseman for the second out. But Weaver's slicing smash got through CP first baseman Lindsey Gurnenz to make it 3-0 and a two-run single by Inglis made it 5-0.

"They (CP) are a talented team," said LC coach Keith Hauber. "We've got four girls (Sarah Shields, Jen Kosinski, Allison Aguilera and Rachel Weaver) who have been playing since their sophomore year."

Rachel Weaver, the 2007 DAC MVP held Crown Point hitless until the seventh inning when relief pitcher Taylor Perry pulled a single to left. But LC had 11 hits and CP had an unofficial three errors. Some of the hits were make-able plays and the Lady Bulldogs didn't make them.

On the other side, LC catcher Danielle Tencza threw out two CP base-runners and other than two errors on Allison Adank's bunt leading off the fourth inning, the Indians were perfect defensively. LC (2-1) was very good fielding and hitting, even though they hadn't played in seven days since a 3-1 loss at Penn.

"To be honest, that's what we'd worked on," said Hauber. "We couldn't get a bunt down at Penn. We had seven hits and a couple others that should have been hits. But we couldn't move the runners along."

"They are a talented team," Hauber said of CP. "They'll get better. We have four girls who have started since their sophomore year. Does that show? Absolutely it does."

CP's Brett Crutchfield says his team might give LC too much credit.

"We put them on pedestal," he said. "And we just can't do that. I don't think they're six runs better than us. But we can't just keep saying that."

CP NOTES: Crown Point's postponed game against Morton on March 31 was played Monday (4-7-2008) and CP won 10-0 behind right-hander Kelsey Rather (1-0).

The day after losing to LC, Crown Point got a complete-game victory from Taylor Perry in a 4-2 win over Portage (4-03-2008). CP scored three runs in the first inning against Portage senior Olivia Findley and held on, playing errorless defense.

CP lost 4-3 at Munster Friday when the Lady Mustangs (3-1), who were coming of a 5-2 loss to Lowell, scored the winning run with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning. Jackie Beilfuss (1-3) allowed just six hits and two walks.

When CP defeated Chesterton 3-2 in 13 innings last spring it broke a 13-game Chesterton winning streak against the Lady Bulldogs.