The Chesterton softball team scored five runs early and held on to pick up a 6-3 win at Portage Tuesday night in the Duneland Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

“I was pleased that the girls came back after a disappointing day on Saturday,” Chesterton coach LouAnn Hopson said. “I was also pleased that the defense stayed poised and made the plays when Megan (Tymorek) got into trouble.”

The Trojans jumped all over Portage starter Kylie Someson in the first inning as Jaren Lynch started the game with a double. Lynch scored on a single up the middle from Heather Overla.

Overla scored on a two-run home run by Sydney Cooley, her second of the season. With one out, Megan Matheny and Jeannette Sosnowski singled. They scored on a single by Tymorek and RBI ground out from Ryan Bozak for a 5-0 lead.

“We started out just hammering the ball,” Hopson said. “Portage changed pitchers in the first and it kind of got ugly on and off for our hitters. The second pitcher was a junk ball pitcher and it worked really well.”

Chesterton pushed the lead to 6-0 with a solo run in the fourth inning. Sammie Howard got a one-out single and Lynch followed up with a single. Both runners moved up on an Overla ground out before Howard scored on a wild pitch.

Then things got difficult.

“Things got kind of scary there at the end,” Hopson said. “Megan (Tymorek) and Ryan (Bozak) were in a groove the entire game, but with the meat of the order coming up for the third time, the groove became predictable.”

After a ground out to start the frame, the Indians got back-to-back singles and a double to cut the lead to 6-2. A ground out was followed by a bloop single that had cut the lead in half.

Tymorek recorded her eighth and final strike out of the night to end the game. The sophomore allowed just five hits and didn’t walk a batter in the victory.

SCORING BY INNINGS

Chesterton 500 100 0 -- 6 10 1

Portage 000 000 3 -- 3 5 0

2B -- Jaren Lynch, Taylor Harlow (C); Morgan Eastridge (P). HR -- Sydney Cooley (C). Pitching Summary -- Chesterton -- Megan Tymorek (7 IP, 5 H, 8 K, 0 BB); Portage -- Kylie Someson(1/3 IP, 5 H, 1 K), Natalie Korpak (6 2/3 IP, 5 H, 5 K). WP -- Tymorek.LP-- Someson.

The Trojan JV softball team lost to Portage 10-0. The Trojans held the Indians scoreless into the bottom of the 4th inning. Jessica Stacy pitched a complete game.

The Trojans struggled at the plate, Amanda Dujmovich had the only single. The girls were hitting the ball, usually right at a defender.

The team will play Valpo on Thursday at home.

Posted 4/6/2011