Post-Tribune

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

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:01 -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 …

Basketball: LC’s Mike Miklusak commits to Western Illinois

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:01 -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 …

Softball: Crown Point shuts out defending regional champ Chesterton

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:01:57 -0500

CROWN POINT — Two opportunistic runs and a marvelous pitching performance from freshman Miranda Elish led Crown Point to defeat the defending regional champion Chesterton 2-0 on the first night of the Crown Point softball sectional. “We were just trying to keep them off-balance,” Elish said of her approach to the potent Trojans’ lineup. “We moved the ball over the place and changed speeds a lot.” Elish ran her unbeaten record to 17-0 by allowing just one hit while issuing no walks in her complete-game victory. “I was worried because we’d beaten them twice and they’d already seen Miranda twice. …

Softball: Munster KOs defending sectional champ Lake Central

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:01:37 -0500

HIGHLAND — After a pair of 5-0 losses to Lake Central in the Class 4A Highland Sectional the past two years, Munster’s Carly Murphy yearned for a more favorable outcome. “This year, I just kind of came into the game with a really different approach,” Murphy said after leading the Mustangs (22-7) to a 4-0 victory over three-time defending champ Lake Central on Monday. “The last two years, I came in here super nervous and uptight. This year, I came in thinking: ‘I’m prepared, already. I can’t do anything more at this point.’ I knew I just had to go …

Baseball: Washington Township cruises to PCC tourney title

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:01:04 -0500

Valparaiso — The wind was howling out to center field for Monday’s Porter County Conference baseball tournament title game. In those conditions, Washington Township coach Randy Roberts anticipated a high-scoring affair against South Central. “I figured it would take about 15 (runs) to win it,” Roberts said. Not with Tyler Frye on the mound. The senior right-handed pitcher limited South Central to four hits in a 9-1 victory. “I had a lot of help from the defense,” Frye said. “That’s what we’ve worked all year for. … With the wind out here, they supported me very well.” Frye struck out …

Softball: Westville, South Central cruises in 1A sectional openers

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:01:46 -0500

UNION MILLS — In Game 1 of the South Central Sectional, Westville (17-8) started out fast and furious, trouncing Marquette by the lopsided score of 18-0 in five innings. The Blackhawks sent 16 hitters to the plate in the top of the first and drove in 11 of them, thanks to five stolen bases, six walks and seven hits. The highlight was a bases-loaded triple by Shaina Jacks. The senior center fielder collected four RBI in the inning, and every Blackhawks hitter scored in the frame. In the bottom of the first, the good news for Marquette was it started …

Softball: Boone Grove edges Hebron, Rochester wins in 2A opener

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:01:23 -0500

ROCHESTER — In a wild finish, Boone Grove edged PCC rival Hebron 5-4 to move on in the Class 2A Rochester Sectional, while North Newton fell 9-2 to the host Zebras. It wasn’t over until the last pitch for the Wolves with the game turning on key plays. “There were a couple of weird calls.” admitted Boone Grove coach Ron Saunders. “But we had to live with them and just go out there and overcome them. These girls are never say die, never quit. My pitcher ((junior Amanda Hawrot) threw her heart out.” Hawrot kept the Hawks at bay for …

Girls tennis: Andrean going through huge turnaround

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:01:13 -0500

There’s sometimes a helpless, down-and-out feeling that comes from being a team going through growing pains. And when trying to keep up with Northwest Indiana schools that are perennial tennis contenders, that emotion can be daunting. For the girls tennis team at Andrean, it wasn’t all that long ago when it was living this reality. In spring 2011, the 59ers faltered through a winless campaign. Last season, under the first-year guidance of longtime coach Carol Metzcus, the NCC squad slightly improved to a three-win effort. The two disappointing seasons continued a drought of losses in the postseason. So while some …

On Campus: Kurt Kudrecki, Sean Manaea pacing Sycamores

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:04:01 -0500

Indiana State pitchers Kurt Kudrecki (Dyer) and Sean Manaea (Wanatah) currently rank 1-2 all-time in the program for earned run average. Kudrecki, used in short relief, has pitched 41 innings and carries a 1.10 ERA. The rubber-armed Lake Central grad has appeared in 27 of ISU’s 47 games. He is credited with three saves and owns a 1-2 record. Manaea ranks fourth nationally in strikeouts with an 11.4 average per nine innings. The Andrean grad notched a 5-4 record and a 1.47 ERA spread over a team-high 73.1 innings and 12 starts. Both are juniors. The Sycamores are 24-23. Notre …

Alain Quijano sparks RailCats victory over Wichita

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:36:00 -0500

GARY — The RailCats were hoping to see the “real” Alain Quijano on Monday night against Wichita. “Hopefully the hoopla is behind us, and hopefully he’ll settle in and be on his game,” manager Greg Tagert said before the game, after the left-hander had allowed seven runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings on Opening Day. Quijano obliged, tossing six scoreless innings as the RailCats topped the Wingnuts 5-1 at the Steel Yard. He allowed five hits with three strikeouts and no walks. “Just getting ahead of those guys was key, keeping them aggressive,” Quijano said. “They have a …