Post by Homer Hawks Site Administrator on Feb 13, 2012 8:39:07 GMT -5
Valparaiso earned a pair of victories Saturday at the Ramada Inn UNI Dome
Classic in Ames, Iowa, using a stellar pitching performance to down
Nebraska-Omaha 6-0 before breaking out the bats for an 11-5 victory over Big 12
foe Iowa State in the nightcap.
“I’m really pleased with the way we bounced back today as a team after a rough
game yesterday,” said Crusader head coach Jordan Stevens. “We had a lot of
good production from a lot of different hitters today. I thought our
approaches at the plate were much better than they were yesterday. Our
pitchers also did a nice job keeping us in the games, giving us a chance for
the wins.”
The story of the opener was the performance in the circle by senior Alex
Lagesse (Beecher, Ill./Beecher). Lagesse surrendered just four hits in the
complete-game shutout, walking none while striking out nine batters. The only
real threat came in the fourth inning, as a double gave UNO runners on second
and third with one out, but Lagesse induced a pop-up and then registered a
strikeout to escape the inning unscathed.
Meanwhile, Valpo got all the offense it would need in the bottom of the first
inning. The Crusaders got their first two batters of the game on base, and
freshman cleanup hitter Brittany Duncan(Fairborn, Ohio/Fairborn) brought home
the first run of the game with an RBI double. Senior Sara
Strickland (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon) crossed the plate later in the inning on
a wild pitch, while a single by senior Jordan Rutkowski (Alden, N.Y./Alden)
scored junior Hayley Bridwell (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) to give Valpo a 3-0 lead
after one frame.
The Crusaders added a single run in the second inning, as redshirt
sophomore Jessie Marinec(Alsip, Ill./Marist) came home on an RBI single by
sophomore Angie Doerffler (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) to make it
4-0. The rest of the offense ran through sophomore Amanda Wisniewski (Lake in
the Hills, Ill./Huntley), as she led off the fourth inning with a solo homer to
push the lead to five runs before doubling with one out in the sixth and
scoring on an RBI single by freshman Lindsey Norway (Chicago, Ill./Chicago
Christian) for the final margin.
Wisniewski closed the opener Saturday a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs scored,
while Norway and Rutkowski each had two-hit games as well. Ashton Hughes
started in the circle for Nebraska-Omaha (0-2), allowing four runs, three
earned, in 1.1 innings of work.
Valpo then jumped all over Iowa State in its finale on Saturday, scoring six
runs in the first three innings. The Crusaders claimed the lead in their half
of the first inning for the second straight game, as Norway reached via a
leadoff error and advanced 60 feet at a time, eventually scoring on a Duncan
single. Valpo scored two in the second, as senior Kelsey Phalen (Batavia,
Ill./Batavia) reached on a one-out single and Marinec followed with a walk.
The duo advanced around the bases, with Phalen scoring on a wild pitch before
Norway drove in Marinec with a sacrifice fly.
Then, in the third inning, the Crusaders had nobody on with two outs before
back-to-back walks to redshirt junior Joylyn Ichiyama-Drewry (Torrance,
Calif./Redondo Union) and Phalen and a single by Marinec loaded the bases. A
wild pitch brought home Ichiyama-Drewry to make it 4-0, and then Wisniewski
continued her big day with a two-run single to plate Phalen and Marinec,
pushing the lead to 6-0. Valpo added a single run in the fourth as Doerffler
scored on a sacrifice fly by Rutkowski to move the Crusaders to the verge of a
possible run-rule victory.
Iowa State would scuttle any ideas of a shortened win, scoring two runs in the
fifth and three in the sixth to move within 7-5. But Valpo had one more big
inning remaining to secure the win, pushing four runs across in the bottom of
the sixth. Norway led off with a double and Doerffler followed with a
two-bagger of her own to plate the freshman. Then, after a Strickland single
put runners on the corners with nobody out, Duncan blasted her first career
home run, a three-run shot that provided the final 11-5 score.
Duncan went 2-for-4 in the finale with four runs driven in, while Doerffler and
Phalen each registered two hits and scored two runs apiece. Senior Sam
McGee (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) improved to 1-1 after going five-plus
innings in the start, surrendering three runs while striking out four. Lagesse
closed out the final two innings in the circle. Miranda Kemp took the loss for
Iowa State (0-1), giving up six runs in just 2.2 innings of work.
Valparaiso (2-1) closes out action at the Ramada Inn UNI Dome Classic on Sunday
with a single game against Drake at noon. Live stats for the game can be
accessed throughwww.valpoathletics.com.
“We need to come out tomorrow the same way we did today, to end the tournament
strong against Drake,” said Stevens.
************************
This is why I tell each of you to focus on the school of your dreams and work to reach your goals ... Lindsey had her heart set on Valpo for all the right reasons - academics, religious, athletics ... and was well on her way there her sophomore/junior year ... until the head coach recruiting her took a job at Wisconsin ... Lindsey would not give up, and we battled and battled to get the new coach, Jordan Stevens interested ... he finally agreed to a walk-on ... then during the summer before she left for school, after watching many of our games, he came up with some athletic money ... then during the fall and winter workouts - he named our Lindsey the starting right fielder!!!! The key is Lindsey is playing for her dream school and SHE EARNED IT THROUGH PERSISTENCE AND INCREDIBLE HARD WORK! She is so team oriented, when she joined us after 14 under, she was a pitcher/ss. She had to pitch for her high school. She did it! But she wanted to play and broaden her chances, so she split time between ss and outfield for 3 years with us, and developed into one of the best outfielders in the area ... all through HER unselfish committment, work ethic and dreams of playing at the college of her choice! Lindsey will succeed in college, a career, and life because of her intestinal fortitude and her desire to be a winner! Barb and Ron, you have raised a true winner in life and God's eyes!
Classic in Ames, Iowa, using a stellar pitching performance to down
Nebraska-Omaha 6-0 before breaking out the bats for an 11-5 victory over Big 12
foe Iowa State in the nightcap.
“I’m really pleased with the way we bounced back today as a team after a rough
game yesterday,” said Crusader head coach Jordan Stevens. “We had a lot of
good production from a lot of different hitters today. I thought our
approaches at the plate were much better than they were yesterday. Our
pitchers also did a nice job keeping us in the games, giving us a chance for
the wins.”
The story of the opener was the performance in the circle by senior Alex
Lagesse (Beecher, Ill./Beecher). Lagesse surrendered just four hits in the
complete-game shutout, walking none while striking out nine batters. The only
real threat came in the fourth inning, as a double gave UNO runners on second
and third with one out, but Lagesse induced a pop-up and then registered a
strikeout to escape the inning unscathed.
Meanwhile, Valpo got all the offense it would need in the bottom of the first
inning. The Crusaders got their first two batters of the game on base, and
freshman cleanup hitter Brittany Duncan(Fairborn, Ohio/Fairborn) brought home
the first run of the game with an RBI double. Senior Sara
Strickland (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon) crossed the plate later in the inning on
a wild pitch, while a single by senior Jordan Rutkowski (Alden, N.Y./Alden)
scored junior Hayley Bridwell (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) to give Valpo a 3-0 lead
after one frame.
The Crusaders added a single run in the second inning, as redshirt
sophomore Jessie Marinec(Alsip, Ill./Marist) came home on an RBI single by
sophomore Angie Doerffler (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) to make it
4-0. The rest of the offense ran through sophomore Amanda Wisniewski (Lake in
the Hills, Ill./Huntley), as she led off the fourth inning with a solo homer to
push the lead to five runs before doubling with one out in the sixth and
scoring on an RBI single by freshman Lindsey Norway (Chicago, Ill./Chicago
Christian) for the final margin.
Wisniewski closed the opener Saturday a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs scored,
while Norway and Rutkowski each had two-hit games as well. Ashton Hughes
started in the circle for Nebraska-Omaha (0-2), allowing four runs, three
earned, in 1.1 innings of work.
Valpo then jumped all over Iowa State in its finale on Saturday, scoring six
runs in the first three innings. The Crusaders claimed the lead in their half
of the first inning for the second straight game, as Norway reached via a
leadoff error and advanced 60 feet at a time, eventually scoring on a Duncan
single. Valpo scored two in the second, as senior Kelsey Phalen (Batavia,
Ill./Batavia) reached on a one-out single and Marinec followed with a walk.
The duo advanced around the bases, with Phalen scoring on a wild pitch before
Norway drove in Marinec with a sacrifice fly.
Then, in the third inning, the Crusaders had nobody on with two outs before
back-to-back walks to redshirt junior Joylyn Ichiyama-Drewry (Torrance,
Calif./Redondo Union) and Phalen and a single by Marinec loaded the bases. A
wild pitch brought home Ichiyama-Drewry to make it 4-0, and then Wisniewski
continued her big day with a two-run single to plate Phalen and Marinec,
pushing the lead to 6-0. Valpo added a single run in the fourth as Doerffler
scored on a sacrifice fly by Rutkowski to move the Crusaders to the verge of a
possible run-rule victory.
Iowa State would scuttle any ideas of a shortened win, scoring two runs in the
fifth and three in the sixth to move within 7-5. But Valpo had one more big
inning remaining to secure the win, pushing four runs across in the bottom of
the sixth. Norway led off with a double and Doerffler followed with a
two-bagger of her own to plate the freshman. Then, after a Strickland single
put runners on the corners with nobody out, Duncan blasted her first career
home run, a three-run shot that provided the final 11-5 score.
Duncan went 2-for-4 in the finale with four runs driven in, while Doerffler and
Phalen each registered two hits and scored two runs apiece. Senior Sam
McGee (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) improved to 1-1 after going five-plus
innings in the start, surrendering three runs while striking out four. Lagesse
closed out the final two innings in the circle. Miranda Kemp took the loss for
Iowa State (0-1), giving up six runs in just 2.2 innings of work.
Valparaiso (2-1) closes out action at the Ramada Inn UNI Dome Classic on Sunday
with a single game against Drake at noon. Live stats for the game can be
accessed throughwww.valpoathletics.com.
“We need to come out tomorrow the same way we did today, to end the tournament
strong against Drake,” said Stevens.
************************
This is why I tell each of you to focus on the school of your dreams and work to reach your goals ... Lindsey had her heart set on Valpo for all the right reasons - academics, religious, athletics ... and was well on her way there her sophomore/junior year ... until the head coach recruiting her took a job at Wisconsin ... Lindsey would not give up, and we battled and battled to get the new coach, Jordan Stevens interested ... he finally agreed to a walk-on ... then during the summer before she left for school, after watching many of our games, he came up with some athletic money ... then during the fall and winter workouts - he named our Lindsey the starting right fielder!!!! The key is Lindsey is playing for her dream school and SHE EARNED IT THROUGH PERSISTENCE AND INCREDIBLE HARD WORK! She is so team oriented, when she joined us after 14 under, she was a pitcher/ss. She had to pitch for her high school. She did it! But she wanted to play and broaden her chances, so she split time between ss and outfield for 3 years with us, and developed into one of the best outfielders in the area ... all through HER unselfish committment, work ethic and dreams of playing at the college of her choice! Lindsey will succeed in college, a career, and life because of her intestinal fortitude and her desire to be a winner! Barb and Ron, you have raised a true winner in life and God's eyes!