The season that might have been
Iacovetti, Chesterton had right ‘mindset’ about sectional with powerhouse Crown Point
Chesterton catcher says team had “mindset” to win sectional over Crown Point.
After experiencing sadness and disbelief, Chesterton catcher Micaela Iacovetti has progressed to more fully accepting the cancellation of her senior softball season because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But it also wasn’t lost on her that the sectional would have taken place this week under typical circumstances.
The Trojans have won three straight titles, and were prepared for a different challenge this season. With postseason realignment, Crown Point moved from Sectional 1, where Lake Central resides, to Sectional 2 and joined Chesterton for the first time since 2015.
Lowell also was shifting along with the Crown Point, which defeated Chesterton in a Class 4A regional in 2019 for the second time in three seasons on its way to a semistate final.
“They’re both very good teams,” Iacovetti said. “But we had the mindset that if we won three in a row, we could win four.
“We feel like we could’ve won a lot of games. We didn’t lose many seniors from last year and we had a good core group of seniors this year.”
Iacovetti, an Indiana Tech recruit who plans to study exercise science, had five classmates on the roster.
Notre Dame-bound third baseman Cassidy Grimm, shortstop Maddie Snemis, a Missouri-St. Louis recruit, and outfielder Faith Matta, a Milwaukee School of Engineering recruit, all would have been four-year starters.
Hollie Skoczek and Mae Mallon were seeking their first opportunities for extended playing time.
“We’ve been really close and we hung out outside of softball, which made us even closer,” Iacovetti said.
With college on the horizon and hopes of a travel season ahead, Iacovetti has been practicing every day, playing catch with her cousin, taking ground balls in the driveway and hitting into a net.
She ran a virtual half-marathon earlier this month with her father, making her way to the lakefront in Michigan City instead of the originally scheduled route in Indianapolis.
Iacovetti also picked up a second job at the beginning of the pandemic. Already working 20 hours a week at Pottawattomie Country Club, she added 20 more at Al’s Supermarket.
“I’ve been staying busy,” Iacovetti said. “You get tired of being inside all the time.”
On top of the pandemic, it has been “an emotional roller coaster” for Chesterton coach Dan Lynch and his family.
His father died earlier this month at the age of 85 after multiple battles with cancer. Two days later, his first granddaughter was born.
“He was old and it was his time,” Lynch said of his father. “He had some problems, but he lived a long life. With everything else, with everyone losing loved ones, we had my dad at home and we could see him, so he wasn’t isolated when he passed. That’s at least a positive in that aspect.
“And it was the biggest positive two days later.”
So through the struggles of e-learning and the disappointment of a canceled season, Lynch has maintained perspective.
In his second season after 14 as an assistant, he was looking forward to seeing how the Trojans would respond, including replacing standout pitcher Lexi Benko, a second team all-state selection and North All-Star who’s a freshman at Indiana State.
He envisioned utilizing a committee of Kaitlyn Carr, Lauren Kobialka and Hannah Massey, all juniors.
“We did a great job last year, and once again we could have done very well this year,” Lynch said. “It would’ve been tougher to get out of the sectional. With the quality of the teams, you think whoever gets out of the regional should make it to state — you always think that.
“I just feel bad for the girls. A number of them would’ve received accolades, and they didn’t get the chance. It just gets me because they work so hard.”