Wivinis fuels Mustangs' win over Warren

After playing two state tournament baseball games in five hours Tuesday, Downers Grove South coach Darren Orel admitted his team "was a little gassed."

Matt Wivinis didn't look like he was running on empty.

The junior pitcher fired a 6-hitter, leading the Mustangs past Warren 3-0 at Naperville's North Central College and into the semifinals of the IHSBCA Phil Lawler Summer Classic. Downers Grove South will meet Sandburg at 10 a.m. today at North Central.

"He's really of late done an awesome job - has pitched as well as anybody on our staff," Orel said. "He went out and did the job, big-time. He really commanded the zone with a lot of confidence. "

Wivinis walked Tim Bodine to lead off the game but didn't issue another free pass until the seventh. He struck out three, mixing his curveball well with a two-seam fastball.

"I just wanted to throw strikes and let my teammates make the plays for me," Wivinis said. "When I hit my spots, I feel like I can pitch with the the best of them."

Downers Grove South, a 4-2 loser to St. Rita in Tuesday's second game, got its mojo back in the bottom of the first against Warren. Kyle Engel was hit by a pitch leading off, stole second and scored on a one-out single by Dan Walsh. Walsh took second on the throw home and scored on Pat Korienek's groundball single up the middle. Walsh tripled leading off the third and came home on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.

"We needed a spark in the first inning after a tough loss," Walsh said, "and we got it."

Matt Dowd went 3-for-3 and Pat Kenney 2-for-3 for Warren, but the Blue Devils stranded 8 runners against Wivinis. Warren did get outstanding 52/3 innings of 1-run relief from Kevin Colburn and Pat Oliver.

"Their pitcher did a great job - that's all you can say," Warren coach Clint Smothers said. "We brought in Colburn, who's thrown four innings all summer and he gave us a great performance. Oliver, our left fielder, he's not a pitcher. But he did an unbelievable job in relief."

Warren, which finished the summer 27-5, beat Carmel 7-6 in a back-and-forth first game Wednesday. Carmel led 4-0 through five innings before Warren roared ahead with 5 runs in the bottom of the sixth. Carmel reclaimed a 6-5 lead on Eric Stevenson's 2-run single in the top of the seventh, but the Blue Devils won it with 2 in the bottom half. Warren scored the tying run on an error and a Jake Economos single drove in the game-winner.

"We have a chance to play with anybody," Smothers said. "We played well this summer."

Jacob Wolf and Engel both had 2 hits, a double and run scored for Downers Grove South (27-4) in the loss to St. Rita.

"We're just tired," Orel said. "You're used to playing two games, but with the emotion that comes with some of these games, you have to dig down and find what you can."