Post-Tribune

RailCats get in trouble one too many times in home-opening loss to Wichita

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:06:35 -0500

GARY — The RailCats flirted with trouble several times on Friday night at the Steel Yard. It finally caught up with them in the eighth inning of their home opener against Wichita, exacerbated by an error. The Wingnuts took a 3-1 decision, scoring all three runs (two earned) in that pivotal eighth. Will Krout entered with no outs in the inning, after Chad Rhoades had loaded the bases. Jason James then dropped Mitch Einertson’s drive to center field, a would-be sacrifice fly turned into an error that allowed two runs to score. C.J. Ziegler added a run-scoring single. “It’s a play …

Valparaiso rallies into Horizon League title game

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:05:41 -0500

Freshman Mark Johnson, starting for only the sixth time this season, hit a two-run single with one out in the bottom of the eighth to cap a Valparaiso rally and lead the Crusaders past UIC 4-3 and into the Horizon League championship game today. The Crusaders trailed 3-1 going into the eighth, but Tanner Vavra led off with a single to start the comeback. John Loeffler singled and Elliott Martin was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Spencer Mahoney followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 3-2, and Johnson — in the game because Will …

Softball: Freshman Annabel Karberg blanks Munster as LC wins third straight sectional title

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:07:25 -0500

HIGHLAND — Annabel Karberg’s youthful exuberance and relative inexperience might have prompted her response. There was something special about the way Lake Central’s freshman pitcher felt about winning her first sectional title. “I think it’s really cool,’’ said Karberg, who watched players like Nikki Adams, Kaitlyn Ranieri, Bridget Boyle, and the team’s other three seniors, win their third straight Class 4A Highland Sectional title in a 5-0 win over Munster (18-13) Friday. The Indians (26-2) host Chesterton in the regional Tuesday at 5 p.m. One of the biggest reasons LC won so handily — it opened the season with an …

Baseball: Valparaiso advances to face Portage in Monday’s sectional final

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:07:49 -0500

MERRILLVILLE — The whole Valparaiso baseball team poured out of the dugout after Ethan Lehnen made a running catch in centerfield on a well-hit fly ball from Brett Bayer. The Vikings’ exhilarating 7-6 nine-inning win over Crown Point in the semifinals of the Merrillville Sectional was doubly satisfying. They had reason to celebrate. In a span of three innings, Valparaiso had won this one, lost it and then won it again. New motto for Valparaiso: Whatever it takes. It was the third time they had played the Bulldogs and it was their only victory. Valparaiso will play Portage Monday in …

Baseball: McNamara, Fieldhouse pace LC to opening sectional win over rival Munster

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:07:42 -0500

Lake Central coach Jeff Sandor is taking the one-game-at-a-time approach while his top-ranked Indians endeavor to move through the IHSAA playoffs. But to hear Lake Central starting pitcher Jimmy McNamara tell it, Friday’s sectional semifinal opener against Munster wasn’t just another game. “We grew up playing Little League against a lot of the guys from Munster,” said McNamara, who struck out 12 batters in Lake Central’s 7-0 triumph over the Mustangs. “They were our rivals even then, so we were a little geeked up and on edge early on. We just knew we had to concentrate and get it done.” …

Baseball: Washington Twp. avenges last year’s loss to Kouts

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:07:03 -0500

VALPARAISO — Washington Township had no championship hangover on Friday afternoon during its sectional semifinal against Kouts. The host Senators continued their streak of solid baseball by dispatching Kouts, 13-3 in six innings. On Monday, Washington Township (22-9) won its first conference tournament championship in four years — giving this senior class the parting gift of two such titles in their career. However, before its match up against Kouts, Senators coach Randy Roberts did not want to depend on that momentum. “I hope we’re all mature enough that Monday’s night trophy means nothing right now,” Roberts said. The Senators relieved …

Softball: Chesterton walks off with sectional title

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:07:32 -0500

CHESTERTON—The best luxury for a power hitter? An equally effective bat behind her in the lineup. Sometimes, that luxury becomes a necessity. Chesterton’s No. 5 hitter, Mallory McKee, was the hero for the Trojans on Friday, connecting on a two-run, walk-off single giving Chesterton a 7-6 victory over Crown Point and its first sectional championship since 2006. “All I kept thinking was that I needed to get that hit,” McKee said. “I knew the first pitch was going to be a strike so I just swung as hard as I could.” “We’ve got several kids that can hit,” said Chesterton …

Softball: Shelby Jorgenson, Lake Station win title on no-hitter

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:06:56 -0500

EAST CHICAGO — Lake Station starter Shelby Jorgenson struck out five of the first six River Forest hitters she faced and cruised to a 15-0 no-hit victory over the Ingots in five innings at Bishop Nollin a Class 2A sectional championship. For Lake Station, it was the second sectional championship in school history (2002). The Eagles ascend to 18-9 on the year. Jorgensen, a sophomore, had at least one strikeout every inning and a total of eight. It wasn’t until the fifth that she surrendered a walk. River Forest (4-24) didn’t hit a ball out of the infield. “I didn’t …

Softball: Andrean makes it six straight sectional titles

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:06:49 -0500

WHEATFIELD — Before her clutch hitting broke open Friday’s Class 3A sectional championship, it couldn’t really be said that Andrean’s Kaitlin Barajas was overly dominant against Kankakee Valley starter Ashley Dobson. “Not really … at all,” Barajas said with a laugh about past at-bats. Baraja’s fortunes changed dramatically, though, as she took her first pitch — as the second hitter of the game — and cranked it deep over the left-field fence. In the tightly fought pitching duel, the homer stood up for Andrean’s 1-0 win over its Northwest Crossroads Conference foe. “I went up there a lot more confident …

Softball: South Central wins second straight sectional title

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:07:10 -0500

UNION MILLS — South Central took what it could get. And the Satellites had no apologies afterward. South Central scored five unearned runs, taking advantage of critical late-game errors and miscues, on its way to a 6-3 victory over Triton on Friday in the championship game of the Class 1A South Central Sectional. It was the Satellites’ second straight sectional title and ninth overall. They play host to Lakewood Park Christian on Tuesday in a one-game regional. “As far as opportunities and mistakes, we jumped on them,” South Central coach John Hall said. “That’s what you have to do.” After …

White Sox hammer Indians as rookie Jose Quintana shines

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:11:42 -0500

Pitching has been a steady element for the White Sox, so in a league in which hitting is predominant, it’s a concern when a starter is sidelined by injury. ‘‘[The pitchers] are the ones that really set the tone early in the year, not just the starters but the bullpen, too,’’ manager Robin Ventura said. John Danks might have been the exception with his 5.70 ERA. Danks going on the 15-day disabled list Friday because of a shoulder strain was more precautionary than serious, the team said. And Danks sounded optimistic, talking of trying to stay as close to his …