Softball: Crown Point tops Chesterton in extras

Updated: April 10, 2012 10:41PM

CHESTERTON — Two Duneland Conference softball rivals went toe-to-toe on Tuesday, and in the end it was Crown Point that was still standing in an extra-inning 8-7 victory over host Chesterton.

Bailey Mores drove in the winning run on a double to right with one out in the eighth following a leadoff single by Courtney Holm. Chesterton put two runners on in the bottom of the eighth, but Siera Gyure retired Megan Matheny on a groundout back to the pitcher for the final out.

Gyure worked out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs after giving up two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game. Following a strikeout, a fly ball to right field by Chesterton’s Taylor Bissonnette was caught by Rachael Suits, who fired home. Catcher Ally Rock and third baseman Amanda Rock executed a rundown to tag out the runner and send the game to extra innings.

“We work on those plays every day in practice,” Crown Point coach Brett Crutchfield said.

Chesterton jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, with Matheny hitting a two-run double that was followed by a towering three-run home run to left by Sydney Cooley. But Crown Point battled back with two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth to tie, assisted by errors by the Trojans in both innings.

“We just didn’t play good enough defense to win,” Chesterton coach LouAnn Hopson said.

Gyure (4-0) settled down after the first and didn’t allow a runner past second base until the sixth, when Matheny drove in her third run with a single, and Mallory McKee tied it up with a single to right. That’s when Gyure got out of that major-league jam.

Chesterton pitcher Megan Tymorek took the loss, striking out seven in eight innings. She also had three hits and scored two runs.

Batting standouts for Crown Point included Gyure (three hits and three RBI) and RaeAnna Jenks (three hits, two doubles and two runs scored).

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