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Benet sets the tone in win over South Elgin

Get out early.

The theme for the Phil Lawler Summer Classic quickly became the theme for Benet's opening game of the baseball tournament on Monday. The Redwings piled up all their runs in the first four innings and rolled to a 9-1 victory over South Elgin at Naperville's North Central College.

The win not only advances Benet into the winner's bracket to face St. Charles East at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Lisle's Benedictine University, it also saves the Redwings from having to play an extra game and trying to stay alive in the double-elimination format.

South Elgin played an elimination game immediately after losing to Benet, and was knocked out of the tournament with a 6-4 loss to Libertyville. The Wildcats play the Benet-St. Charles East loser at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in another elimination game.

"With the loser's bracket you've got to go through four games to win," said Redwings winning pitcher Mike Dunn, who also started the scoring with a 2-run second-inning double. "We get one less game so we don't have to use as many arms. Getting a win is big, and winning's contagious. We've got the momentum going for us going into tomorrow."

That momentum is actually an extension from last week when Benet outscored its last three opponents 22-1 to win the Hinsdale South regional. Now a win over St. Charles East puts the Redwings into the Lawler Classic semifinals.

Monday's win began on the mound with Dunn, who allowed a hit in each of his 6 innings but avoided serious trouble thanks in part to a pair of double plays to end the third and fifth inning. South Elgin scraped across its lone run in the top of the fourth when Adam Walker's ground out drove in Nathaniel Gomez.

"Their pitcher pitched very well and pounded the zone," said South Elgin coach Jim Kating. "Our kids had good approaches at the plate. We just had no results."

Benet, leading 5-1 at that point, answered with 4 runs in the bottom of the fourth to build its 9-1 advantage. Erik Jones singled home a run, Alex Tassos singled in two more and Alec McEachern's sacrifice fly capped the burst.

"It's been the same for every game, hitting's been contagious for us," said Redwings designated hitter Marty Dosen, who went 2-for-3 including a 2-run double. "Once one guy gets going, it gets the whole team going. We put good swings on the ball and things went our way."

Dunn's 2-run double opened the scoring in the bottom of the second. C.J. Birck added a third run with a sacrifice fly.

"Our kids are just having fun," said Benet coach Scott Lawler. "They're gelling together faster - for seniors and juniors - than I expected. They're just doing a fantastic job."

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