Confident Warriors reach semis
With each of Waubonsie Valley's 14 hits, you could sense the shift in focus.
The Warriors began to feel like contenders.
Wednesday's 14-2 five-inning victory over Naperville Central at Lisle's Benedictine University clinched Waubonsie Valley's baseball team a spot in Friday's IHSBCA summer state semifinals.
The Warriors (26-12) play Lincoln-Way East, which is also unbeaten in Pool A play, at 10 a.m. today at Naperville's North Central College to determine who will be the pool's top semifinal seed.
Through two days and 2 wins, the Warriors went from hoping to advance to aiming at winning the whole tournament.
"It was just a great team win," shortstop Jonny Strauss said. "Pretty much everyone up and down our lineup contributed. When a team does that it's hard to lose."
A 2-0 lead grew to 7-0 with a 5-run fourth inning. Waubonsie Valley starting pitcher Kevin Kirchner, who contributed 2 RBI, rolled through 4 innings before surrendering a pair of fifth-inning runs on RBI hits by Matt Soria and Bobby Czarnowski.
By that time, though, Waubonsie Valley comfortably enjoyed its double-digit advantage. At 0-2 in pool play, Naperville Central (29-12) has a game remaining but cannot advance into the semifinals.
"We just couldn't stop the train," said Redhawks coach Bill Seiple, whose team plays Oak Park at 12:30 p.m. today at North Central. "Give them credit. Nobody's more surprised about the result than I am, but sometimes it happens. The game bites you that way."
Danny Walker spotted the Warriors to a 2-0 lead in the second inning with a 2-run triple. A 7-run fifth inning piled onto the 7-0 lead, and the game ended after Kirchner, who struck out six and walked none, pitched through the bottom of the fifth.
Strauss went 3-for-4 with a pair of 2-run singles. Jeff Brown also had 3 hits as the bottom four batters in the lineup accounted for 7 hits, five extra-base hits, 9 runs scored and 7 RBI.
Trevor Romeo, the eighth batter in the order, led the way with a double, home run, 3 runs scored and 4 RBI.
"We're solid all the way through," Romeo said. "Our coaches said at the beginning of the summer that we can make a run, and we have so far."
In their 2 wins this week the Warriors have outscored their opponents 23-4. If it keeps up, they may just make a run at the state title Friday night in Lisle.
"We're just swinging the bats, it's one thing we've done well the whole tournament," coach Dan Fezzuoglio said. "Hopefully we can keep it rolling."