Naperville C.’s Wunderlich just misses perfect game

Just one perfect game has been thrown in Andy Nussbaum’s 28 years at Naperville Central.

Alyssa Wunderlich came thisclose to No. 2 Saturday.

The Southern Illinois-bound senior retired the first 19 batters she faced before a one-out single in the seventh inning, striking out 16 to beat York 1-0 in the first game of a doubleheader in Naperville.

“Once it gets late in the game you just think to yourself, ‘Oh, please just keep making your pitches,’” Wunderlich said, “but I try not to think about (the perfect game). I just take it one pitch at a time. Unfortunately, they got the hit in the seventh. Oh well.”

Loyola recruit Kristina Vizza followed up Wunderlich’s gem with one of her own in Game 2, striking out 10 in a 4-1 one-hitter. Vizza walked four, York’s run unearned.

“We challenged (Wunderlich) a little bit. Boy, I thought she was dominant,” Nussbaum said. “With the rain and the schedule packed the way it is, it’s nice to have two really good pitchers.”

York has faced its share of aces this year, from Elk Grove’s Dani Goranson to St. Charles North’s Amanda Ciran to Lilly Fecho of Glenbard North.

But the Dukes (6-9) went down feebly against Naperville Central’s hurlers. Kayla Madigan’s opposite-field slap single in the seventh inning accounted for York’s lone baserunner in Game 1. Danielle Morency beat out a nubber in front of home plate for the Dukes’ hit in Game 2.

York did get strong pitching performances by ace Tessa Kroll (5-5), who allowed 2 hits with 3 strikeouts in Game 1, and Nikki Mordini in Game 2.

“Their pitcher in the second game had us off stride the whole game,” York coach Tom Babyar said, “and we had some weak swings all day. Our approach has got to get better. Our swings are too long.”

No. 13 Naperville Central (9-3) scored Game 1’s lone run in the fourth. Kroll, perfect through three innings, walked leadoff hitter Juliet Tassi. Tassi advanced all the way to third base on a Keegan Hayes sacrifice, and Kelsey Gonzalez lined Kroll’s first pitch to center for a run-scoring single.

That was plenty for Wunderlich. With a devastating screwball boring in on righty batters, Wunderlich (4-2) threw her second one-hitter of the year.

Wunderlich became the fourth Redhawks pitcher in the last 28 years to take a perfect game into the seventh inning. Maureen Morris has the lone perfect game, back in 1989.

“I was trying to move my pitches around with my different offspeeds, which helped,” said Wunderlich, whose first 14 strikeouts came on swinging third strikes. “They definitely swang at a lot of pitches. That forces me to mix it up. With real aggressive hitters I think you have to change speeds more.”

Lefty Vizza (5-1), a change of pace from Wunderlich, couldn’t command her good changeup as well as she’d like but consistently dotted the outside corner.

“The umpire was giving me a ball outside,” Vizza said. “Whenever I get that big of a distance I’ll keep throwing it until the batters catch on.”

Gonzalez tripled in Tassi in the first inning and scored on an error for a 2-0 Redhawks lead. Kayla Skinner singled in a run in the fourth and Maddi Doane singled and came around to score on a dropped third strike in the sixth.