Baseball: Naperville Central pulls out win over WW South

Updated: April 24, 2012 10:18PM

Last week, after his team dispatched of West Aurora, Naperville Central coach Mike Stock noted the 21-game “marathon” that is the DuPage Valley Conference schedule.

Mindful of the opportunities lost one day earlier in a 10-inning loss at Wheaton Warrenville South, Naperville Central made sure to not let history repeat itself.

Executing just enough, Naperville Central turned the tables in pulling out a 2-1 victory over Wheaton Warrenville South on Tuesday night at Benedictine University in Lisle.

Jim Nashert’s fifth-inning RBI single off Tigers’ starter, senior right-hander Nick Garlick, broke a 1-1 tie and helped pave the way for junior right-hander Cody Campbell to earn his fourth straight victory.

“I was just looking fastball. (Garlick) gave me one the pitch before. I whiffed at it and I thought I looked so bad on that last pitch that he might bring it again and he did,” said Nashert, who went 2-for-3, of his at-bat in the fifth. “I did my best to drive it.”

Campbell (4-2) battled some control issues, walking four in his first three innings and six all told for the game, through his six innings of work.

Striking out five, Campbell just did enough to keep the Tigers at bay and allowing his offense to scratch out a couple runs and keep Naperville Central (12-8, 6-2 DuPage Valley) in a second-place tie with Glenbard North, one game behind Wheaton North.

“Cody, he’s just gotta keep working at it. We gotta get those off-speeds over the plate and get them swinging the bat some more,” Stock said. “We want to see more balls put in play off of him and not as many walks.”

A day after needing 10 innings to register a victory over the Redhawks, the Tigers got on the scoreboard first in the fourth after Mike Shelton singled up the middle to bring home Mitch Krafcheck, who had doubled to left, with one out.

The Redhawks immediately answered in the bottom of the fourth, courtesy of Ross Murphy, who went 2-for-3 and stole three bases, plating Nashert with a RBI single to right. Nashert singled to left to start the fourth for the Redhawks’ first hit of the night.

Over the course of the game’s final four innings, Naperville Central’s offense scratched out seven hits.

“Ross Murphy got a big hit for us (in the fourth) and Jimmy Nashert got two big hits for us,” Stock said. “Got it started (with a single in the fourth), got that go-ahead hit for us (in the fifth).”

Eight days removed from getting shelled by Naperville North, Garlick (1-3) threw much better in going 4 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on six hits while fanning three for Wheaton Warrenville South (11-9, 3-5 DuPage Valley).

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