Lady Devils start 2007 softball season with 9-3 win over KV

A USA-365 special report by Mark Smith

3-24-2007

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Kankakee Valley (0-1)	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	3	5	2
LOWELL (1-0)	2	0	0	4	2	1	-	9	9	1

March 22, 2007 - at Lowell, IN - season opener

WP - Kaitlyn Bolanowski (1-0) 3K, 1 walk (5 innings)
LP - Carissa Lovely (0-1) CG, 2K, 3 walks

Kanakee Valley (0-1)
Kelsey Allen (1B) HR 2 RBIs
Hannah Sparks (LF) Single, RBI
Brittany Wiemac (C) Double, run scored

LOWELL (1-0)
Jackie Fletcher (2B) Double, single, walk
Becca Nida (CF) 2 singles, 3 RBIs
Nina Ioakimidis (DP-RF) 2 singles, run scored
Kelly Johnson (SS) Single, run scored
Katherine Allert (C) 2 walks
Nicole Rolniak (3B) Single, RBI
Kelly Koza (LF) Double, 2 RBI

LOWELL (3-22-2007) - When you schedule a game for the 22nd of March, you are just hoping. It actually should be rained out or snowed out or just too cold to play. So when the sun sat high in the sky and the temperature hovered at 65 degrees late Thursday afternoon, both sides actually came out winners. Lowell gets to put it on paper, after a 9-3 victory over Kankakee Valley in the 2007 season opener for both schools.

Two Kankakee Valley errors opened the door for six two-out unearned Lowell runs in the fourth and fifth innings, making it a happy home opener for Red Devils. Lowell got four first time varsity starters plus three freshmen, second baseman Jackie Fletcher, designated player and outfielder Nina Ioakimidis and shortstop Megan Bolanowski on the field for their varsity debut.

"I've got another pitch who is a first baseman, pitcher," said Lowell coach Pete Iussig, who hopes to be around to see this class through to their senior year. "That's probably the thing I need least on the varsity right now is another first-baseman-pitcher so I put her on the junior varsity. But I gave her an inning against Hobart in the scrimmage and she struck out eight of 10 batters. She was really throwing strikes. It's a really good group. I'm going to see these guys through."

But with senior sisters Kelly and Michelle Johnson, Lowell's future is now. The Devils' window of opportunity is open with Munster and Lake Central rebuilding and the Devils returning five starters (including catcher, SS and CF) with two veteran pitchers.

Lowell scored twice in the first inning Thursday on a single by junior center fielder Becca Nida. In the fourth inning with two out, KV third baseman Jackie Shiedt threw a two out ground ball into the dirt past first baseman Kelsey Allen. One run scored on the error and three more came home on Nicole Rolniak's single to left and Fletcher's two-run double to right center.
Trailing 6-0, KV rallied when Allen's long opposite field drive hit the yellow safety piping on the top of the right center field fence and bounced over for a two-run homer.

Lowell scored two more in the bottom of the fifth when KV freshman pitcher Carissa Lovely forgot how many outs there were and tried to get a force at second base with two out, throwing wildly for an error. Kelly Koza's two-run double made it 8-2.

Lowell finished last year with a triple 'lead-off' lineup plan that placed a leadoff style hitter in the first, fourth and seventh positions. Softball isn't baseball where you have one guy drive in half the runs. You have to create runs and the three leadoff hitters are constant creators. Iussig had Jackie Fletcher leading off and lefty slap hitter Becca Nida batting fourth.

"I don't know," Iussig said. "I'm starting this game with it. Becca just really looked good every time I got her out of the number one (leadoff) spot. Fortunately, the Fletcher girl puts the ball in play and can get on base. She's a smart base runner. Last year, I had three slappers, three bunters and three hitters."

"This year, I really have three slappers. The bottom of the order is conventional hitters. We'll see. I don't want Allert to go too far down in the order."

Junior starting pitcher Kaitlyn Bolanowski, who was 8-1 in 2006, pitched four shutout innings before Allen's two run homer. Junior right-hander Alyssa Reed, who was 7-1 in 2006, gave up three hits and a run in the seventh, her second inning.

"Our pitcher forgot how many outs there were," said KV coach Brian Flynn. "It was her very first varsity game. We're trying to get the kids to learn to always get the lead out, but not with two out. The two errors hurt us a lot, but we'll work on it. I was very pleased that we hit the ball. You can work on errors. Defense can get better. I was glad to see us hit."

In the end, games in March don't matter and everybody was glad to get one in between the rainstorms.

"We hope to be better by the time we see them again (April 24) at our place," said Flynn. "It's just nice to be able to get out and play on a good day like this in March."

DEVIL NOTES: Lowell's Saturday (March 24) home game with Chesterton was postponed until Thursday, March 29 at 4:00 p.m.

Lowell started two new players against KV who were not freshmen in third baseman Nicole Roniak and left fielder Megan Bentley.

"Nicole Roniak is a junior. She's been on JV the last two years. Third base is her position and it is a toss up between her and the little (Megan) Bolanowski to start there. I'm going to go with a little more experience to start with."

"She was a little timid today on the first ball hit to her but after the first inning, she made all the routine plays and that's all we ask," added Iussig. "Megan Bentley is a sophomore. We brought her up a few games last year. She'll be okay out there."

Iussig thought Kristina Kuzma (21-52, .404 in 2006) was nervous.

"She's one of our better hitters," said the coach. "But she was timid today. She started off last year just like that. She hits great in the (batting) cage and she was on a tear for the last month of the season. But today, she was timid again."

Jackie Fletcher, the sister of 2006 graduate Nicole Fletcher, Nina Ioakimidis and Megan Bolanowski all played together on the same traveling summer team for four years. Fletcher and Bolanowski, the sister of starting pitcher Kaitlyn Bolanowski, are shortstops and pitchers while Ioakimidis is actually a catcher.

Fletcher appears well suited to take the place of graduated Lowell second baseman Carrie Shelhart. There really isn't a place for the other two right now so they will probably be utilized in the designated player role.

KV lost pitcher Jessica Dobson (8-12, 1.94 ERA) to Lake Central and pitcher Detra Wood isn't pitching.

"The Dobson thing happened before I came back to school this fall. I don't know anything about it. I never had a problem with her in any way. Detra Wood's doing a good job for us in centerfield and hopefully, hitting the ball. That's all I want to say right now. Carissa Loving is going to be our No. 1."

Lowell expects a big year out of Katherine Allert, who moves in behind the plate this season.

"I haven't had an umpire make a comment about a catcher in a long time," Iussig said. "But today, the ump says, 'I love that catcher you've got. She never touches me. I never get hit.' She's worked very hard and I think she's going to have a real good year."

Kelly and Michelle Johnson are the only senior players in the class of 2007 and that's the way it's been throughout high school.

"When they were in middle school," said Iussig. "there was another girl who was decent but she moved to Castle. We knew when they were in sixth grade that there were only going to be three players in that class."

LOWELL (1-0)
Coach Pete Iussig - (23-7 in 2006, 21-10 in 2005)

Note: all games at 4:30 unless otherwise indicated....
LAC games in CAPS

3-22-7 (W) 9-3 Kankakee Valley
3-29-7 (Th) Chesterton - 4 p.m.
3-31 (S) at Valparaiso - 11 a.m.
4-2 (M) at Portage
4-3-7 (Tu) at HIGHLAND
4-5-7 (Th) ANDREAN
4-10-7 (Tu) BISHOP NOLL
4-11-7 (W) Boone Grove
4-12-7 (Th) at HOBART
4-14-7 (S) at Crown Point - 12 noon
4-16-7 (M) at MUNSTER
4-18-7 (W) Hanover Central
4-19-7 (Th) GRIFFITH
4-24-7 (Tu) at KANKAKEE VALLEY
4-26-7 (Th) HIGHLAND

4-28-7 (S) at Pioneer - 9 a.m.
4-28-7 (S) vs. West Lafayette at Pioneer (TBA)

5-1-7 (Tu) at ANDREAN
5-3-7 (Th) BISHOP NOLL

Twin Lakes Invitational (3-5 games)
5-4-7 (F) pool play game (5 p.m. or 6:30 p.m.)
5-5-7 (S) pool play game (9 a.m. or 10:30 a.m.)
5-5-7 (S) pool play game (12 noon or 1:30 p.m.)

5-7-7 (M) Merrillville
5-8-7 (Tu) HOBART
5-9-7 (W) Wheeler
5-10-7 (Th) MUNSTER
5-14-7 (M) MORTON
5-1-5-7 (Tu) at GRIFFITH - 7 p.m.
5-16-7 (W) Lake Central

Lake Central (4A) Sectional
5-21-7 (M) quarterfinals - TBA
5-23-7 (W) semifinals - TBA
5-25-7 (F) championship - TBA