St. John, IN – Crown Point and Lake Central, two of the top teams in the state squared off for the Sectional Championship yesterday evening. Hits were at a premium as Lake Central’s Paige Pepkowski and Crown Point’s Brinkley Kita and Madi Elish combined to give up only two runs, six hits, and stuck out 17 total. The Bulldogs were able to use timely two-out hitting to take a 2-0 victory over the Indians.
Through the first three innings, Paige Pepkowski and Brinkley Kita fanned through both lineups. It was not until the bottom of the fourth with two outs for the first run to cross the plate, Mallory McMahon broke the stalemate coming up with a solo shot to left.
Lake Central would threaten in the top half of the fifth. With one out, a walk and an error put runners in scoring position. Pitcher, Madi Elish was able to get a groundball to put two away. The Bulldogs would then intentionally walk Alexis Johnson, loading the bases. The final out was recorded on a groundball to second ending the Lake Central threat.
Crown Point would add on one insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Madi Elish came up with a hustle double, and Alexis Holloway followed with an RBI double to the right-center gap.
Madi Elish would finish off the final half inning, making the Bulldogs the sectional champions with a score of 2-0.
Top PerformersCrown PointMadi Elish: 2-3, 2B, R; 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER
Alexis Holloway: 1-3, RBI
Mallory McMahon: 1-2, HR, RBI, BB
Brinkley Kita: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 7 K
Lake CentralAlexus Reese: 1-3
Morgan Hoppe: 1-2, 2B
Peyton Pepkowski: 6 IP, 2 ER, 10 K