Baseball: Benet hits are right on time
With baseball it's often not about quantity. It's about timing.
Benet finished with 8 hits in Tuesday's 5-1 home win over Downers Grove North. Eight hits is not a small amount, but it's not huge either.
The key for Benet is six of those hits came over two innings that allowed the Redwings to take control of the contest.
"We're always aggressive at the plate," said Benet first baseman Jared Novak.
Novak belted a first-pitch, 2-run double in the third that scored Dolan Glasgow and Aaron Staehely to push Benet ahead 2-1. Glasgow led off by getting hit by a pitch and Staehely singled.
"I was looking for a first-pitch fastball and trying for a line drive up the middle. I wanted to take an easy swing. You don't want to do too much (overswing)," Novak said.
Benet (5-2) made it a 4-1 game in the fourth and like, the third inning, all the big Redwings highlights came with two outs.
Staehely deposited a 1-2 pitch into center field, scoring Mike Wymer, who reached on an infield hit and came home on Connor Hincks' well-placed double to short left field.
The Redwings' final run came in the sixth. Glasgow led off with a walk and scored on Ben Wright's single to left.
Assistant coach Bob Gelwicks said Benet's success is a combination of fundamentals.
"We're getting good pitching. There's been a good outing from every starter, and the middle of the order is hitting real well," he said.
Tuesday's winning pitcher was Jack Rodi. He worked five innings, allowing just three hits and striking three. Chris Jendra pitched the last two innings, striking out two.
"My fastball was working. After the first inning my breaking stuff wasn't working as well. I put trust in the defense behind me," Rodi said.
Downers North fell to 0-4 with the loss.
Although Trojans starting pitcher Scott Jakobsze was the losing pitcher, he struck out eight and kept Downers North in the game.
"He went out and competed. He didn't spot his fastball well, but he gave us an opportunity," said Trojans coach Kyle Briscoe.
Downers North actually took the lead first in its half of the third. With one out Brycen Eisenhut walked and with two out, leadoff hitter Cameron Demos drove him in with a double to center.