Downers Grove South betters Naperville Central

After retiring Naperville Central baseball coach Bill Seiple wrapped up his final postgame speech on Saturday, he talked about the previous two hours.

“They pitched, they played, they swung the bats a little bit better,” he said. “Better things had to happen for us.”

Downers Grove South did just enough better than Naperville Central to claim a 3-1 victory over the Redhawks in Saturday’s Class 4A Hinsdale Central regional title game.

While the win sends the fifth-seeded Mustangs (24-13) into Wednesday’s Neuqua Valley sectional semifinals to face No. 1 Plainfield North, the loss ends the hall-of-fame coaching career of Seiple, who in 30 years guided Naperville Central’s program to more than 700 wins and state titles in 2006 and 2010.

“I don’t want to think about that now, that’d be kind of cheating these guys,” Seiple said. “This isn’t about me, I don’t think it’s ever been about me. It’s about our community. I think we won like champions with class a year ago, and I think we walk out of here with our heads high like champions.”

Two runs in the top of the fifth inning broke a 1-1 tie and gave Mustangs starting pitcher Matt Wivinis (4-5) the cushion he needed to close out the win.

Wivinis, committed to Kansas State, scattered 6 hits while striking out seven and walking one in an 89-pitch complete game. After a one-out single gave fourth-seeded Naperville Central (21-13) some hope in the bottom of the seventh, Wivinis struck out the next two batters to give the Mustangs their first regional title since 2007.

“We knew we wanted it this year,” Wivinis said. “We’ve been preparing all season, and this is just the first step.”

Downers South struck for an unearned run off Redhawks starter Ian Lewandowski (8-3) in the top of the first, but Naperville Central tied it in the fourth on a fielder’s choice from Jake DeVoy that scored Conor Philbin.

The Mustangs scored the go-ahead runs with two outs in the fifth. Nick Tenerelli doubled home the tiebreaking run and Wivinis singled in the insurance run.

Naperville Central had chances to push runs across, but Wivinis and the Mustangs’ defense, which turned two double plays, escaped the jams.

“That’s the kind of baseball team we are,” said Downers South coach Darren Orel. “Pitching and defense, and hopefully we can squeak in a couple of timely hits.”