The Chesterton softball season came to an end on Saturday as the Trojans dropped a 2-0 decision to Crown Point in the IHSAA Sectional Championship.

“If you don’t score, you don’t win,” Chesterton coach LouAnn Hopson said. “I told the kids after the game, we hit the ball and we hit it hard. We just hit it straight up.”

The Trojans managed just one hit, a double by Sydney Cooley in the fourth inning, against CP’s Rachael Centanni. Centanni struck out just one Chesterton hitter, but induced 10 fly outs.

“I think it was a combination of the way she was throwing it and the way we were attacking it,” Hopson said. “I didn’t think we were driving through it.”

Allison Amodeo drew a lead off walk for the Bulldogs and moved to second on a stolen base. A ground ball from Raianna Jenks resulted in a throwing error and plated CP’s first run.

“We got in a lot of trouble because we didn’t keep their leadoff hitter off enough,” Hopson said. “And we didn’t get ours on. You can’t bunt, hit and run, or do anything else if that doesn’t happen.

“It’s a credit to Megan and the defense that they didn’t score more runs.”

The Bulldogs made it 2-0 in the fourth inning when Jenks led off with a double and Ally Rock singled her home.

Crown Point loaded the bases again in the fifth inning, but a line drive snagged by a diving Sammie Howard at third base ended the threat.

“We’ve got eight losses and five of them are by 1-2 runs,” Hopson said.

Cooley’s double in the fourth inning was the Trojans only real chance to score as Centanni sat down the last 11 hitters she faced.

“We finished 19-8,” Hopson said. “We’ve got three freshman playing and a sophomore with five varsity innings coming into the year on the mound. I was very pleased with our year.”

It was the final game in the career of seniors Ryan Bozak, Taylor Harlow and Heather Overla.

“My catcher, first baseman and centerfielder were seniors and they did a great job with leadership and accepting the young kids into the program,” Hopson said. “That’s not easy. They’ve been a part of a lot of wins over the last four years.”

SCORING BY INNINGS

Crown Point 100 100 0 -- 2 6 1

Chesterton 000 000 0 -- 0 1 1

2B -- Raianna Jenks (CP); Sydney Cooley ©. Pitching Summary -- Crown Point -- Rachael Centanni (7 IP, 1 H, 1 K, 0 BB); Chesterton -- Megan Tymorek (7 IP, 6 H, 6 K, 2 BB). WP -- Centanni. LP -- Tymorek.

Jaren Lynch started things with a double and scored the game’s only run on Taylor Harlow’s single as the Trojans beat Portage 1-0 on Friday night to advance to Saturday’s Sectional Finals.

Chesterton threatened again in the third inning with runners on second and third and again in the fifth when they loaded the bases, but couldn’t add any insurance.

Megan Tymorek battled her way out of two tough spots as Portage put a runner on third base in the first and fourth innings. The sophomore allowed just two hits and struck out nine in picking up the victory.

SCORING BY INNINGS

Portage 000 000 0 -- 0 2 1

Chesterton 100 000 x -- 1 8 1

2B -- Jaren Lynch ©. Pitching Summary -- Portage -- Kylie Someson (2 IP, 2 H, 3 K, 1 BB), Natalie Korpak (4 IP, 6 H, 6 K, 1 BB); Chesterton -- Megan Tymorek (7 IP, 2 H, 9 K, 0 BB). WP -- Tymorek. LP -- Someson.

Posted 5/31/2011