Baseball: Umbright mows down Hinsdale Central, sends Naperville Central to sectional final

Naperville Central had pitcher Grant Umbright on the mound Wednesday night when they took the field against Hinsdale Central in a Lockport sectional semifinal.

That, a couple of timely at bats, and some great defense was enough for the Redhawks.

Umbright struck out 10 in a complete game win, and Naperville Central plated single runs in the third and sixth, both coming with two outs, in a 2-0 victory over Hinsdale Central.

Naperville Central moves on to face Downers Grove North, who upset host Lockport 7-6 in the other semifinal, for the sectional championship Saturday at 11 a.m.

“This was as good as it can get,” Umbright said. “Lots of people here, the adrenaline was pumping, and I was feeling good. I was able to find my off speed, which I was struggling with for a certain amount of the year, and that was my main putaway.

“Arm felt good, the fastball was pumping, and I had great defense behind me. Good job by the team."

Red Devils coach Jason Ziemer agreed that Umbright was the difference maker in the game.

“They (Naperville Central) had a dominant pitcher,” Ziemer said. “And when you have dominant pitchers like that, they can go out and win you a ball game. That’s what Umbright did tonight.

“He was throwing three pitches for strikes, and I would imagine he popped 90 plus.”

Naperville took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when designated hitter Ryan Pall drew a basis loaded walk.

Then in the top of the fifth, Redhawks center fielder Dylan Martin, a senior, came up with the defensive play of the game.

Hinsdale Central’s Dylan Kassab blasted a long drive to center that looked like it was over the fence for a homer. But Martin was able to get a glove on it and deflect it back into the field of play. Kassab raced to third with a triple, but Umbright was able to get out of the jam with no damage done.

“The ball (by Kassab) was laced, and I was tracking it,” Martin said. “They have a pretty small fence here in center field and unfortunately I ran right into it, It was in my glove then came out, but it (saved a home run).

“I feel like that play goes to show what type of a team we are. Any one of us will run through a wall for the other one.”

Naperville Central (26-9) scored an insurance run in the last half of the sixth when Jermaine Kennedy doubled and Casey Cooperkawa singled him home.

Umbright got the Red Devils 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh to earn the victory.

“This win means everything,” Martin added. “The amount of work we’ve put in, especially this group of seniors, and it means everything to be able to play with this group of guys one more time. I’ve been playing with a lot of these guys since I was eight or nine years old.

“I think we’re just a really, really tough team to beat. Late in the game, our defense is incredible. We just haven’t made many mistakes and I think if we continue to play clean baseball it’s going to be really hard for teams to beat us."