Willowbrook's ace trumps Huskies

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Even amid snow flurries and temperatures in the upper 30s, Naperville North and Willowbrook couldn't have asked for better season openers Monday.

Both teams' aces pitched into the seventh inning, flirted with no-hitters and pushed double-digit strikeout totals.

Willowbrook senior Andy Bejlovec won the showdown with North junior Jake Naumann, 1-0.

"I'm not worried because I know we'll score runs later on," Naumann said. "We've got a bunch of power hitters -- Tass [Jordan Tassio], Noz [Mike Nodzenski] -- they're going to crush the ball."

Senior Dave McKendrick doubled into left-center to break up Naumann's no-hitter in the sixth and then scored the lone run from second base.

McKendrick reached third on a wild pitch by Naumann, and on the same play raced home on a high throw from the catcher off the glove of Alex Helms at third.

Naumann battled out of trouble in the second and sixth, but left the game for Aaron Augustyniak with one out in the seventh. Naumann struck out nine batters and walked three.

"He was excellent for the first time out," North coach Carl Hunckler said.

Naumann's counterpart, Bejlovec, allowed his only hit to senior Simon Ganet in the third.

"When he was missing, he was barely missing," Willowbrook coach Jeff Reyes said of Bejlovec, who utilized a slurve and a cut fastball. "And the spots he wanted to hit, he hit. He was tremendous."

The Huskies (0-1) reached base every inning except the first but struck out eight times.

With North down by one in the sixth, Tassio led off with a walk. Bejlovec responded by striking out Tom Walsh and Ganet before getting Nodzenski to pop out.

Bejlovec spent the last couple of years rehabbing his right arm. He said he severely damaged it the summer after playing on the sophomore team as a freshman.

"That summer in travel ball, I kind of tore up my arm a little bit," Bejlovec said. "I pitched just too many innings I think."

The game was moved to Villa Park because of pending rain, but the Huskies still had the last at-bats.