Downers Grove S. dumps Naperville Central

Execution was the name of the game Thursday afternoon in Naperville, as Downers Grove South came out razor sharp en route to an 8-2 softball victory over Naperville Central.

Downers South (9-4) pounced on the Redhawks for 5 first-inning runs, capitalizing on multiple Naperville Central defensive miscues. Catcher Katy LaCivita slashed a 2-run single, then scored on rightfielder Emma Topps’ double to the left-center gap.

“Five runs in the first sets the tone for the game, and we got in the mood and got on a roll,” Topps said. “We’re definitely finding our groove; we’re a sound team and good friends, but on the field it just wasn’t coming together, but the past week it’s been really good.”

Naperville Central (5-3) had plenty of opportunities to get back in the game, but a lack of clutch hitting doomed the Redhawks’ attempt at a comeback. They left 11 runners on base.

“We still had the whole rest of the game, but we didn’t execute or get the clutch hits,” Naperville Central shortstop Kelsey Gonzalez said. Gonzalez paced the Redhawks, going 3-for-4 with 2 doubles.

Alyssa Wunderlich came on in relief with two outs in the first inning and stopped the bleeding, holding the Mustangs to no runs over the next four-plus innings.

However, the lack of timely hitting was too much to overcome after the lackluster first inning, as Downers South pitcher Jennifer Nichols (5-0) wriggled out of the majority of the jams she got into. Nichols also hit a 2-run double in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach.

“We probably gave them five outs in the first inning, and we had 10 of the first 22 batters on base and got just two runs out of it,” Naperville Central coach Andy Nussbaum said. “If it’s 5-4 in the sixth inning instead of 5-1, maybe we play differently. It’s not that we’re not hitting, it’s that we have to get hits at the right time. The potential is there but we have work to do.”

Conversely, the sharp effort by his team not only today, but all week, gave Downers South coach Ron Havelka reason to be optimisitc.

“Our girls can hit,” Havelka said. “We put up 10 on Lockport, and this is a really good team here too. It’s a nice confidence boost and I’m really proud the way we played defense.”