Naperville Central breaks open game late, routs Waubonsie Valley

What's up with that final score?

That's a question many area baseball fans might ask after learning that Naperville Central defeated Waubonsie Valley 9-1 Wednesday in a battle between area powers. With two solid teams and two star lefties on the mound, most anticipated a tight contest decided late.

Actually, that's what the two teams had going on until the Redhawks (3-0) turned a 1-1 pitchers' duel into a laugher with 8 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to make a winner of reliever Luke Holm, who pitched scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth.

Before the big explosion the Warriors had ridden the strong pitching of Kris Singh and some solid defense to a 1-0 lead through 41/2 innings and a 1-1 tie heading to the bottom of the sixth. Singh, who's committed to Valparaiso University after high school, was making his first start of the season after arm surgery in January.

Waubonsie (1-2) turned three double plays through five innings, and Singh also picked off a baserunner as the host Redhawks managed just 1 run on 7 hits before pounding out 7 more hits off Singh and a pair of relievers in the sixth.

"We waited around a little too long, but we got the big inning when we needed it," said Naperville Central catcher Ryan Walsh, who went 3-for-3. "(Singh) pitched well, but we got on him when we needed to."

The bottom of the sixth actually started with Shane Conlon grounding out, but Matt Cmiel singled to start a string of six consecutive Redhawks batters reaching safely. The first five reached off Singh, who lasted 51/3 innings but was handed the loss after allowing 1 run in the fifth and 5 more in the sixth.

Before the inning ended Conlon batted again and doubled, and Cmiel followed with a deep triple to left.

"We were struggling in the beginning," said Cmiel, who was 3-for-4 after his two hits in the sixth. "We got good counts, but they were making good plays on us. It was just that one inning that got us going."

Warriors coach Dan Fezzuoglio talked with Singh before the sixth and decided to let his ace attack Naperville Central one more inning with the score tied at 1-1. Despite the outcome he wants to make sure his guys know they stuck with one of the top teams in the state, aside from the bad half inning.

"I told the kids that this game doesn't make our season, but we were right there in the sixth inning and the wheels sorta came off," he said. "We did a lot of good things for six innings, but you've got to be able to finish games and hang in there."

Singh said his arm felt fine afterward but that he got into trouble in the sixth by leaving too many fastballs up over the plate against the Redhawks.

"I feel great," he said. "If I had kept the fastball down it was going great. We can take some positives out of this and hopefully we play them in the sectional."

Lefty Dan Ludwig pitched four strong innings for Naperville Central but trailed 1-0 after Sam Carius singled in the third and scored on a 2-out double off the bat of Jeff Brown. The Warriors did put two runners on with one out in the fifth after a walk and hit-batsman against Holm, but Holm and Marc Mantucca - who pitched the seventh - blanked the Warriors without allowing a hit in three innings of relief.

"They're impressive," Naperville Central coach Bill Seiple said of the visitors. "It's too early to have a game like this where you get after it. It was a great game. They cracked and we didn't."