By Drake Skleba

 

ORLAND PARK – In an early season battle between the best of Indiana and Illinois, Crown Point used some late-inning magic to prevail. With but a lone hit and an unearned run through six innings, the Bulldogs struck for a pair of runs in the seventh to defeat Sandburg, the No. 3 ranked team in Illinois, 3-1, on Tuesday.

 

Crown Point (1-0), which is ranked No. 4 preseason by Prep Baseball Report Indiana, entered the top of the seventh tied 1-1. That’s when the heart of the potent Bulldogs’ lineup erupted. The inning began quietly for the Bulldogs, as Sandburg junior right-handed pitcher Joe Merino (1.2 IP, 2R, 3H,2ER,IK) retired the first two Bulldog hitters on groundouts to short.

 

Crown Point’s No. 2 batter, Virginia Tech-bound third baseman Scott Donley then ripped a single to center to get the party started. Donley (1-for-2, 2BB, 2R) advanced to second on a wild pitch. No. 3 hitter, senior first baseman Jeff Limbaugh (1-for-2, 2BB, RBI, R), followed with a sharp single to center, scoring Donley with the lead run.

 

“We were really tentative with our approach at the plate,” said Limbaugh. “In the seventh, Scott, Josh and I really attacked the baseball. The change in approach helped us win this game.”

 

Cleanup hitter and winning pitcher Josh Negele doubled Limbaugh to third, where he would score on a wild pitch.

 

The Indiana State-bound Negele (6 IP, 1R, 2H, 0ER, 9K,1BB) allowed a pair of hits in the first inning and then shut down Sandburg through the sixth.

 

Junior Mike Manion relieved Negele in the seventh. Manion proceeded to make things interesting, walking Sandburg centerfielder Matt Zemke to lead off the Eagle seventh. After a strikeout, Manion walked Nick DeWolf (1-for-2, BB). Manion disposed of Eagle second baseman Mike Malfeo on a fastball across the outside corner. With DH Brett Huff at the plate, a passed ball moved the Eagle runners into scoring position. Manion got the huge third strike call on Huff, on another fastball across the outside corner, to end the game and pick up the save for Negele (1-0).

 

“I was feeling really good on the mound,” said Negele. “We were a little nervous being our opener and all. I really like the mound here and I am really happy with my performance tonight.”

 

Crown Point is coming off of a 30-3 campaign in 2009. The Bulldogs fell to eventual Indiana Class 4A champion Ft. Wayne Snider, 4-2, in the Class 4A semifinals.

 

“We played solid ball in the seventh,” said Crown Point head coach Steve Strayer. “We normally rely on our pitching and defense and today’s five errors are unnerving. We got a win against a good team and we saw a lot of quality pitching, which will help us.”

 

Sandburg (2-1) received a quality pitching performance from starting pitcher Joe Greenfield. The 6-foot-3 senior right-hander allowed one hit and an unearned run, which was scored in the third inning, in 4 2/3 innings of work. Greenfield fanned six and walked four.

 

Senior Eagle cleanup man Brant Valach was 1-for-3. The Eagles scored their lone run on three Bulldog miscues in the second inning without the benefit of a hit.

 

“It was a great experience for us,” said Sandburg head coach Doug Sutor. “Joe Greenfield pitched great for us. We were able to get some young kids experience against a quality team. It was money in the bank for us.”