Post-Tribune

Girls track: Vaulters lift Lake Central to regional title

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:38:00 -0500

CHESTERTON — Lake Central coach Ron Fredrick has one change he’d like to see for scoring the regional track meet. Announce the field events earlier. Of course, it can’t really happen that way since it takes the longest to finish events like the high jump, the pole vault and the discus. But Fredrick was perhaps the least concerned person on the track at the Chesterton Regional when his team was in second place, behind Merrillville for most of the night. He knew his girls were going to clean up when it mattered most. They did, particularly in the pole vault, …

Basketball: Andrean’s Carson Cunningham heading to Carroll College in Montana

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:38:00 -0500

Carson Cunningham and his wife, Christy, flew out to Helena, Mont., with an open mind and a can-do attitude about embracing change for him and the family if the fit was right. Cunningham was on stage — with three other candidates in a one-of-a-kind interview setting — for the head basketball coaching job at Carroll College, a small, Catholic liberal arts school. Speaking strictly in sporting terms, Cunningham hit a home run in the community forum setting. That’s the place where the coaches get grilled by the public about their style, their background and their values. Cunningham joked about how …

Softball: Abby Bondi delivers for Oilers in 8th at Lake Station Sectional

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:36:00 -0500

LAKE STATION — As hits go, it was certainly the biggest of Abby Bondi’s career. The Whiting senior delivered the game-winning single in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Oilers a 3-2 victory over Bishop Noll in the opening round of the Class 2A Lake Station Sectional. “It’s probably my only big hit,” cracked a smiling Bondi. “I was pretty nervous. But we had an opportunity to score and we had to take advantage of it. I didn’t want to go another inning.” Whiting’s Michaela Brown set the table by doubling to right-center field with one out …

Girls tennis: Jessica Rooth, Mustangs cruise to win at regional

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:34:00 -0500

HIGHLAND — Munster’s Jessica Rooth might have been ripe for an upset following her stunning win over Highland’s Vany Madrigal at last week’s Munster Sectional. Sure, some day pigs will fly. The Mustangs’ talented junior didn’t let the heat, windy conditions or the capable play of Crown Point’s Amber Haworth stop her at Tuesday’s Highland Regional. Rooth rolled to a 6-0, 6-2 win over Haworth, leading Munster (18-4) to a 4-1 win over the Bulldogs (12-4). Whiting (16-3) beat Andrean, 3-2 in the other semifinal, earning a berth in today’s regional title match with Munster. “The heat got to me …

Softball: Westville pulls out sectional win in 12

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:38:00 -0500

UNION MILLS — In a three hour, 12 inning marathon, McKenzi Gardner walked to the plate to lead off the 12th inning with an 0-for-5 afternoon. She slapped a little ground ball that didn’t even reach third base. By the time the dust had settled and two throwing errors later, Gardner’s slap infield single looked like a towering home run as Westville (18-8) defeated rival South Central 9-7 to advance to Thursday’s championship. Gardner’s run broke a 7-7 stalemate. The game took so long that the second game between Triton and Culver was postponed until Wednesday. “When I came out …

Softball: Hobart edges MC in CP Sectional opener

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:36:00 -0500

CROWN POINT — It was a defining moment for Hobart and senior pitcher Dana Claussen. The Brickies were up by one run in the bottom of the fifth inning against Michigan City and the Wolves had the bases loaded and just one out. She could embrace the moment or let the moment define her. Two strikeouts later, Hobart was out of the jam on on its way to a 3-2 victory in Tuesday’s first game at the Crown Point Sectional. The Brickies (16-10) advance to face Valparaiso, which defeated Merrillville 10-0 in the nightcap. Claussen also struck out the final …

Softball: Boone hangs in, but falls to hosts at Rochester Sectional

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:37:21 -0500

ROCHESTER — Against a tradition-rich, quality softball team like Rochester, taking advantage of opportunities is a must. Boone Grove failed to do that Tuesday in its 9-2 loss to host Rochester in the Class 2A sectional. North Judson just could not create any type of offense, falling behind by seven in the second inning, and lost to Winamac 16-0 in five innings, ending an 0-20 season. The Zebras led the Wolves 4-2 going into the final inning, and Boone had opportunities in the fifth and sixth innings that did not work out. Zebras junior Karli Murphy put an exclamation point …

Girls tennis: Valparaiso beats St. Joe in opening round of regional

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:34:00 -0500

LAPORTE — It’s not often that you hear a tennis coach praise his No. 2 doubles team the way Valparaiso coach Tim Shideler singled out his girls on Tuesday night. But, as he describes, they’ve been much needed traction for a lineup that has shifted because of frequent absences throughout the season. “They’re kind of the key to the whole team, they’re so strong at the bottom,” Shideler said of the tandem of Kate Spencer and Rachel Crookston. The duo, who didn’t pair up until the postseason, put the finishing touches in the Vikings’ 3-2 semifinal round victory over South …

Basketball: LC’s Mike Miklusak commits to Western Illinois

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:38:00 -0500

Lake Central’s Mike Miklusak had to let the season end to find out exactly where he stood with the Division I schools — or if he had any standing at all. Turned out, he had enough value to get a good offer. Miklusak verbally committed to Western Illinois on Monday after months of playing the wait-and-see game, trying to figure out what was going to be available. It was a good ending for the 6-foot-6 forward from Lake Central, who sometimes got lost for two seasons in the Glenn Robinson III-Tyler Wieman forest. Robinson, of course, ended up at Michigan …

RailCats win third straight on controversial call

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:38:00 -0500

GARY — Colt Loehrs appeared to make a terrific diving catch in left-center field to end the fourth inning. Or did he? Drew Martinez’s liner was ruled a trap, a two-run double that lifted the RailCats to a 2-1 win over Wichita on Tuesday at the Steel Yard. The game included an excellent start from left-hander Ari Ronick, a productive return for Brian Kolb, and strong work from the bullpen. But that controversial call was a centerpiece in Gary’s second straight win against the Wingnuts and third straight overall. “Several of our guys in the bullpen thought it was down. …

Three local baseball players make All-Big Ten

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:38:00 -0500

Indiana placed third baseman Dustin DeMuth (LaPorte) and designated hitter Scott Donley (Crown Point) on the first team All-Big Ten, which was released Tuesday. DeMuth batted .398 and Donley averaged .360 with 13 doubles and 49 RBI for the Hoosiers, who won their first undisputed championship since 1932. Purdue pitcher Jordan Minch (Highland) was named to the all-Big Ten freshman team. The rookie left-hander posted a 5-5 record and a 4.98 ERA. He struck out 63 in 92 innings. Indiana’s Tracy Smith was named coach of the year. The Hoosiers are the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament, …