As a senior, Crown Point center fielder Mallory McMahon wants to make the most of her final postseason.
The Butler recruit took a strong first step in Tuesday’s opening round of the Class 4A Lake Central Sectional.
McMahon went 3-for-4 with a double as the Bulldogs posted a 4-0 win against Kankakee Valley.
“I was seeing the ball really well,” McMahon said. “This is my last chance, so I’m just going for it.”
Three pitchers combined on a one-hitter for Crown Point (25-4), ranked No. 5 in the Class 4A state coaches poll. Senior shortstop Maddie Swart had a single in the third inning for Kankakee Valley (13-14).
Freshman Brinkley Kita pitched two perfect innings, Bowling Green commit Madi Young went two innings and Arizona commit Madi Elish pitched three perfect innings. Both Young and Elish are sophomores.
“Our three pitchers stepped up big,” Crown Point coach Pete Iussig said. “KV’s a good hitting team, and I’m really happy with our three pitchers.”
Kankakee Valley coach Brian Flynn also was impressed.
“They obviously have outstanding talent,” Flynn said of Crown Point. “Their pitching is way, way above average — they can bring in one right after the other and still set you down.
“You have to know what level you are, and Crown Point’s level is above where we are. They’re a great group of kids and Pete does a super job. So I was really pleased with our effort — we were right there in the ballgame.”
Elish went 2-for-3 with a walk, triple and two RBIs for the Bulldogs. Senior right fielder Grace Frazier, a DePaul recruit, went 2-for-4 with a triple.
Crown Point stranded six runners in the first three innings, but broke through for two runs in the fourth. They added two in the sixth.
“We didn’t execute some of our small ball very well, so I’m disappointed in that,” Iussig said. “But we had a few big hits when we needed them.”
Kankakee Valley loses three accomplished seniors in Fort Wayne recruit Swart, Indiana State commit Kaylee Barrett and catcher Emma Sark. Barrett, a center fielder, is the Kougars’ program leader in homers.
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Before those three were freshmen, Kankakee Valley had won one sectional title. In the last four seasons, the Kougars were the 3A state runner-up in 2016 and 2017 and lost in extra innings in the sectional last season to eventual 4A state runner-up Lake Central.
“You can’t say enough about those kids,” Flynn said. “They committed since the time they were really little and it shows. We don’t always get those kids out there in KV land and this group, that’s what it took. I’m really proud of them.”
Munster 10, East Chicago Central 0: In the first game, Munster scored 10 runs on six hits in the first inning, sending 14 batters to the plate. Sophomore catcher Hailey Sullivan had a two-run triple and two-run double in the inning.
Dayton Elliott, a senior and Northern Illinois recruit, allowed two hits with 12 strikeouts and two walks in five innings for Munster (25-6), ranked No. 9 in the state.