Redhawks' bats alive in twin bill sweep

Updated: April 30, 2011 8:36PM

While the calendar read April 30, for both Naperville North and Naperville Central, Saturday may have felt like Opening Day in a lot of ways.

Dealing with a second extended interruption to its respective seasons because of inclement weather, Naperville Central came out very aggressive in sweeping a doubleheader from its crosstown rivals for the second consecutive season by scores of 12-2 and 10-6.

Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the second inning in Game 1, a three-run homer from junior Ross Murphy jumpstarted Naperville Central’s offense as it would bust out for 12 runs on 10 hits.

Following the three-run second, the Redhawks used four-run innings in both the third and fifth to enact the slaughter rule after five innings, highlighted by a 3-for-4 day from Conor Philbin, whose three-run homer in the fifth increased their lead to 11-2.

“Everyone brought it today. Up and down the lineup, everybody hit,” said Murphy, who went 3-for-7 with five RBI combined in the two games.

While his teammates were busy hammering Huskies’ starter Jack Braakman (0-3) and relievers Brennan McClung and Dan Considine, Redhawks’ senior lefty Dan Ludwig set the tone in Game 1 by tossing a complete game.

Coming off the heels of striking out 13 hitters in each of his past two starts, which each resulted in complete games, Ludwig (5-1) limited the Huskies to two runs on five hits while fanning four.

“That was the first time in three years, I think we actually had a lead on him,” Naperville North coach Carl Hunckler said of Ludwig. “It seems like every time we see him, he throws a three-hitter and that against us. He’s really good. He’s really good.”

Naperville North (6-11, 3-7 DuPage Valley) got off to a better start in Game 2 by racing out to a 5-0 lead off Redhawks’ Game 2 starter Jim Nashert after an inning-and-a-half behind three RBI from first baseman Alex Moss, including a two-run double in the second inning.

But the Redhawks responded behind its offense and a stout relief outing from senior right-hander Kody Willis.

Willis entered the fray in the top of the third after Naperville Central (13-6, 8-2 DuPage Valley) cut into its five-run deficit with three runs in its half of the second.

The three-run second was a sign of things to come for the Redhawks, who scored 10 unanswered runs off the trio of Naperville North’s Game 2 starter Garrett Borg and relievers Kevin Walsh (0-1) and Moss.

Murphy, Derrick Avers and Jake DeVoy each had two RBI apiece for Naperville Central in Game 2.

“We’ve been coming back all year. We’ve always been coming back and never give up,” Murphy said. “We know we can swing it.”

In his five innings in relief of the sophomore Nashert, Willis (1-1) permitted just one run, which didn’t come until the seventh, on three hits while fanning four.

“We were fortunate today that Kody came in and gave us five real, real good innings and gave us a chance to win,” Naperville Central coach Bill Seiple said. “He kind of kept the craziness down.”

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