As Benet is clearly starting to prove, chemistry is a dangerous combination.
Bolstered by a fourth straight dominant effort on the mound and a trio of multi-run innings, Benet started the Phil Lawler Summer Classic’s Elite Eight with a bang.
Mike Dunn’s six innings of one-run ball was aided by the Redwing offense jumping on South Elgin pitching early and often en route to a 9-1 victory Monday at North Central College.
Benet (17-7) faces off with St. Charles East, which came back to beat Libertyville, 8-7, on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Benedictine University.
“It is because you don’t have to play that second game,” Benet coach Scott Lawler said of the importance of getting into the winner’s bracket. “You don’t have to go deeper in your staff and save your bullpen because at the end of the week, if you’re in it still, if you can save some bullets for the bullpen. I think you’re in better shape than if you have to play that extra game.”
In four games at the IHSBCA Hinsdale South Regional, the Redwings averaged 8.25 runs.
Against a trio of Storm pitchers, including starter Jack Stancl, Monday offered up more of the same.
Dunn, Marty Dosen and Alex Tassos paced the Benet offensive assault by knocking in two runs apiece to support Dunn on the mound.
An inning after Dunn got them on the board with a two-run single, Dosen’s two-run double off Stancl with two outs in the bottom of the third gave the Redwings a 5-0 lead.
Tassos’ two-run single that almost hit Dylan Wells highlighted a four-run fourth for Benet as it raced out to a 9-1 lead.
“I think it was just the same as every game,” Dosen said of the lineup’s focus and mentality. “Hitting has been contagious for us. Once one guy gets going, it gets the whole team going and we just did our best to put good swings on the ball and things went our way. Scored the runs and backed up Mike.”
Six days after throwing six scoreless innings against Romeoville, Dunn took full advantage of the run support.
Dunn’s six innings were highlighted by striking out the first two Storm hitters he saw.
All told, he struck out four.
“I’ve been working with Coach (Bob) Gelwicks a lot, all summer, even during the season last year,” Dunn said. “I’ve just been throwing strikes and working on getting the off-speed pitches for strikes. That sets up the fastball.”
The Redwing junior class won 25 games en route to winning a East Suburban Catholic Conference this spring as sophomores.
Lawler further illustrated the point of the talent that’s coming up through the program by the fact both the juniors and seniors won ESCC titles as freshmen.
“Our kids are just having fun,” Lawler said. “We have a great group of kids. I could probably say that every year, but these kids are just gelling together faster, for seniors and juniors. Faster than I expected and they’re just doing a fantastic job.”
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