Naperville North bounces back with win

What a difference a day makes — just ask Naperville North.

A day after committing 8 errors in an ugly loss at Downers Grove South, the Huskies played mistake-free defense behind Emily Dieckmann to beat No. 11 Benet 1-0 on Wednesday in Naperville.

“We had a rough day yesterday,” Dieckmann said, “but we bounced back well. I think mentally we just got it together. We knew we were better than that.”

Dieckmann (5-1) only struck out two, but hard-hit balls were at a minimum and Benet managed just 4 hits. After two flyouts to start the game, Dieckmann induced 12 groundballs and four infield pop-ups the rest of the way.

“This is the team we should see, and this team that is capable of playing like this,” Huskies coach Jerry Kedziora said. “I’m proud of the way our defense battled back, and Emily was on her game today. That’s what we need a No. 1 to do.”

Naperville North (5-3) scored the game’s lone run in the third. Bella Masini reached with one out, the umpire over-ruling the out call in stating that the ball popped out of Benet first baseman Nora McGuire’s glove. Masini moved to second on a passed ball, and scored as Caitlyn Warren smashed a single under the shortstop’s glove into left.

Benet pitcher Allyson Staats (9-4) held Naperville North hitless the rest of the way, striking out seven.

“We always say if we pitch, play defense and hit the way we’re capable of we’ll beat anybody anywhere anytime,” Benet coach Jerry Schilf said. “We pitched today and that’s all we did.”

Staats doubled with one out in the Benet fourth but was stranded there. In the sixth Maeve McGuire reached on a one-out bloop single, and Kendall Duffy’s hard-hit single had the Redwings in business.

But Dieckmann got Staats to pop to second, then retired Benet cleanup hitter Julianne Rurka on a comebacker.

“Benet’s a good team,” Dieckmann said. “We knew that 1 run was possibly all we were going to get today. It got the job done.”

Benet (10-4) was shut out for the first time this season, dropping to 0-3 against Neuqua Valley, Naperville Central and Naperville North.

“We didn’t put any hits together,” Schilf said. “Emily pitched a good game, kept us off-balance. We hit the ball hard four times. Even our outs weren’t hit hard. I’m disappointed we didn’t hit the ball with more authority.”