Softball: Naperville Central wins 1st regional title since 2015 with victory over Plainfield North

The Naperville Central softball team has come close to reaching the sectional round in the past decade. Coach Andy Nussbaum felt the Redhawks had “a good chance” to win a regional title in 2019 and 2022.

Yet heading into Saturday’s regional championship against Plainfield North at Knoch Park in Naperville, Naperville Central hadn’t won a regional title since 2015. The mission was to go 1-0 on the day, and as a result change that history.

Mission accomplished.

Avery Miller put up a monster day in the circle (nine strikeouts, four hits, two walks, no earned runs) and at the plate (2 for 3, three RBI), and the offense compiled 10 hits as the Redhawks earned the Class 4A Naperville Central regional title with a 6-1 victory over Plainfield North.

Naperville Central (25-9) came into the year with a multitude of question marks. They graduated four college players last season, including Division-I athletes in Jamie Saran (Northern Illinois) and Riley Silvers (Florida International).

Throughout the year, though, the team has answered those questions time and time again. Nussbaum expressed pride in this group for having done so, but even he was somewhat stumped as to how they’ve put it all together.

“If I knew what it was I’d write a book and make money,” Nussbaum said. “This team has something that we haven’t had in a long time. It’s a certain mojo or whatever you want to call it. They have done everything we’ve asked them to do.”

In addition to Miller, Fiona Brown went 3 for 4, Reese Henige went 2 for 3 and Elise Simms went 2 for 3 with a home run. Miller complimented her team’s energy for allowing them to get over the regional championship hump.

“Our energy this year compared to other years has been on the high side of things,” Miller said. “Also our team chemistry. We all work really well together, so we just need to keep that momentum going.”

Avery Miller got the first run across the board for the Redhawks as her single sent Natalie Lau home in the bottom of the first to make it 1-0. The second run came on Lau’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second to score Simms.

Plainfield North cut the lead in half in the top of the fifth. Sydney Sullivan doubled and advanced to third on a passed ball before Keagan Simmons’ sacrifice fly sent her home to cut it to 2-1.

The Redhawks stretched the advantage to 4-1 thanks to Miller again in the fifth. Her big single to right field sent Cali Lenz and Fiona Brown home to give Naperville Central some cushion heading into the final two innings.

Simms increased the lead to 5-1 on a lead-off homer run to start the sixth. The same inning, Lenz grounded into a double play, but Henige still managed to score to extend it to 6-1 and give the game its final score.

Plainfield North (17-10), the fifth seed in the regional, managed four hits on the day, including doubles by Sullivan and Abagail Mayes. It was a quality season for the Tigers that coach Julie Ann Czerniakowski was proud of.

“This senior group was special to me because they were freshmen when I took over the group four years ago,” Czerniakowski said. “They’ve given me a lot of firsts in this job. They greatly changed the culture of this program and they’re going to leave a legacy for years to come.

“For our underclassmen, we set some goals this year. They know the job’s not done.”

The third-seeded Redhawks will now head to Yorkville on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. battle with second-seeded Oswego. Nussbaum believes the team just needs to keep doing what it’s been doing in order to keep winning.

“We have to keep playing good defense like we played today,” Nussbaum said. “We have to be opportunistic. … Those kind of things we need to grind and do are important. And it doesn’t hurt to be lucky every now and then.”