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Monday, March 18, 2024

Jordan Mikel Shuts Door On Naperville Central As Plainfield South Picks Up 6-3 Victory In IHSBCA Phil Lawler Summer Classic State Semifinal

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Jack Hughes knew it right away.

Afforded the opportunity to try and get the Redhawks back into their game with Plainfield South, all he could do was shake his head.

Inches in either direction away from possibly continuing a promising sixth-inning rally, Hughes’ line drive to center with two runners on provided a perfect metaphor to Naperville Central’s night in Schaumburg.

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One of missed opportunities.

The failure to capitalize on getting its first two runners on base in back-to-back innings while trying to jumpstart a comeback against the Cougars bit it at a most inopportune time.

“I thought the one I hit (to center) was going to get down,” Hughes said, “but unfortunately it didn’t. it just wasn’t going our way.”

Buoyed by a four-run fourth, Plainfield South capitalized when it needed to in earning a 6-3 victory over the Redhawks in an IHSBCA Phil Lawler Summer Classic state semifinal.

Plainfield South (16-3) sent 10 men to the plate against Redhawks’ starter Tyler Brinker during the fourth as it immediately responded to a three-run top of the inning.

Behind an error and three hit-by-pitches, the Cougars tallied the four runs with the benefit of two hits – a leadoff single from Trey Stewart and a two-run double from Jordan Mikel.

“We preach – and you’ve heard me say it – we have to minimize,” Naperville Central coach Mike Stock said. “Look at that ugly number – the four beats us. Two doesn’t beat us. It’s a tighter game in that scenario. We didn’t do. We made a couple mistakes. Hit batsmen, hit batsmen, some base-on-balls there and we didn’t minimize that. And give them credit. They kept coming.”

Of the six runs the Cougars scored off Redhawks’ starter Tyler Brinker, who lasted 3 2/3 innings, five were unearned as errors contributed in both innings that the Cougars scored in.

Mikel’s relief stint of starter Trey Ricko was just as important for Plainfield South’s fortunes.

The senior right-hander struck out five in picking up the victory after throwing four innings of scoreless relief.

“We were trying to get to him, but nothing was really falling for us,” Hughes said of Mikel.

The Redhawks (14-12) drove Ricko from the game after three-plus innings, thanks to four straight hits to begin the fourth.

Connor Gurnik, Aaron Szczepanski, Hughes and Gabe Soria all recorded hits to turn a 2-0 deficit into a short-lived 3-2 lead.

Gurnik’s second double of the game proceeded a Szczepanski RBI single to get Naperville Central within one at 2-1 before Szczepanski would come home to score on a wild pitch.

A double from Hughes and Soria’s RBI single up the middle gave Naperville Central hope in trying to keep its summer going for one final day.

But Mikel just had other plans – evidenced by him picking up Ricko.

“We were jumping on them early,” Gurnik said. “I liked how we were approaching at the plate. Our pitchers battled. We just got to pick up the ball a little better, I think. But I really liked how we played. Competed, especially all the way to the end. But, yeah, I think just a little more solid in the field, picking up our groundballs – I think that’s what we got to do.”

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Blake Baumgartner
Blake Baumgartner
Raised in Naperville, Blake Baumgartner is a 2001 Naperville Central alumnus and a 2005 graduate of Michigan State's School of Journalism. Since March 2010, he has covered football, boys' basketball and baseball for both The Naperville Sun and Positively Naperville. Follow him on Twitter @BFBaumgartner.

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