Naperville Central earns fifth straight shutout

Andy Nussbaum lingered in the dugout at Downers Grove South, then joked, “should I knock on wood?”

This is one run Nussbaum's Naperville Central Redhawks don't want to end.

Kristina Vizza ran No. 15 Naperville Central's shutout streak to five straight games and the surging Redhawks beat No. 14 Downers Grove South 4-0 on Thursday afternoon.

Since the fourth inning of last Thursday's loss to Benet, Vizza and fellow Redhawks pitcher Keegan Hayes have thrown 38 straight scoreless innings.

“It feels good,” Vizza said. “It was tough the first couple games of the season to get momentum. I feel in the groove now. We have momentum, and we're on a good roll.”

Vizza (4-1), committed to Loyola, only struck out four but was nails in pressure moments. She held Downers Grove South to 1-for-10 hitting with runners on base. In the fifth inning, with the Redhawks leading 2-0, Downers Grove South put runners on first and third with two outs, with No. 3 hitter Aleisha Bozek due up. Vizza retired Bozek, 2-for-2 at that point, on a tapper to first base.

“Kristina I think revealed some mental toughness today,” Nussbaum said. “She wasn't always getting calls, and yet she kind of kept her composure, kept her cool and never gave in to a hitter. There was never a ball she threw right down the highway.”

As sharp as Naperville Central (7-3) has been the last week, Downers Grove South (7-5) is in the midst of an offensive malaise. The Mustangs went 1-for-17 with runners in scoring position in a doubleheader split at Marist Saturday and needed 3 unearned runs in the sixth inning Tuesday to beat Naperville North 3-1. Danielle Trezzo and Katy LaCivita had the other two hits for the Mustangs, shut out for the first time.

“We can't string a couple hits together. It's frustrating that we can't get that big hit,” Mustangs coach Ron Havelka said. “We gotta get over that hump.”

Naperville Central jumped out with single runs in the first and second innings, both rallies sparked by speedy leadoff hitter Nicole Kappelman.

Kappelman reached on a bunt single to start the game, advanced on a ground out and wild pitch and scored on Kelsey Gonzalez's single to short center. Dana Dolehide, who was 3-for-3, led off the second with a ground-rule double and with two outs scored as Kappelman beat out an infield single.

The Redhawks tacked on two runs in the seventh, Kappelman again the cataylst. She doubled with one out, Maddi Doane tripled her in and scored on a Gonzalez grounder.

“We always knew we were capable of putting runs on the board,” Nussbaum said, “and we're playing some pretty good defense. Don't stop now.”