When Mother Nature takes away days, you might as well play extra when she gives you a reprieve.

The Chesterton softball team worked extra innings on Tuesday night and picked up an important 6-5 Duneland Athletic Conference victory over Portage in 9 innings.

“Just a very determined effort,” Chesterton coach LouAnn Hopson said. “That’s what we were looking for from them.”

Portage scored two runs in the top of the first off of Chesterton starter Sydney Cooley, but two errors in the frame didn’t help.

“Sydney didn’t do a bad job, but she just wasn’t fooling anyone,” Hopson said. “She’s a ground ball pitcher and didn’t get the calls she needed. Then we had some errors sandwiched around a couple of hits.”

The Trojans answered with a run in the first as Heather Overla reached by walk and Cooley doubled. Taylor Harlow’s RBI single plated Overla.

Portage responded in the third inning with two runs after a leadoff walk was followed by a wild pitch and two singles.

And again, Chesterton (12-5, 5-2) responded. This time with three runs in the third.

Jaren Lynch tripled and scored when Overla reached on an error. After moving to third on a ground out from Cooley, Harlow again ripped an RBI single.

“I’m pleased that every time Portage scored we responded,” Hopson said. “We had them on the ropes in several innings. We knew if we kept getting them on, we would eventually score. We got all the bunts down we needed to and several girls produced in clutch situations.”

The Trojans took a lead in the fourth when Megan Matheny walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lynch. After Overla singled her to third, Harlow’s third RBI hit scored Matheny.

Portage tied the game against Chesterton relief pitcher Megan Tymorek, who struck out five in eight innings of work.

“Megan came in for the second inning and stopped the bleeding with the bottom of the order,” Hopson said. “She was pretty solid.”

Harlow racked up her fourth hit of the game to lead off the ninth inning and went to second on a wild pitch. Mallory McKee sacrificed Harlow to third just before Ryan Bozak walked and stole second.

Tymorek ended things with a solid single through a diving infield.

SCORING BY INNINGS

Portage 202 000 100 -- 5 6 2

Chesterton 103 100 001 -- 6 13 2

2B -- Sydney Cooley ©. 3B -- Jaren Lynch ©. Pitching Summary -- Chesterton -- Sydney Cooley (1 IP, 1 K, 0 BB); Megan Tymorek (8 IP, 5 K, 2 BB). WP -- Tymorek.

Posted 5/4/2011