The crosstown classic swings into action as Naperville North baseball and Naperville Central sit at 2-1 in the DVC. The Huskies took two out of three from the Redhawks a season ago, so the 11-5 Hawks are on a mission for revenge. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
The action starts in the bottom of the first. Mike Page rips a bullet way to left center, and coming home to score is Cooper Page to make it 1-0 Hawks.
We swing to the third inning in a 1-1 tie. Noah Tumpane for the Huskies gets a base hit that just gets down. Pinch runner Charlie Furbee turns on the jets to finish line and beats the throw to give the Huskies a 2-1 lead.
Grant Umbright follows that up in the bottom of the frame with a chopper in the fair territory, giving Umbright extra bases for a double.
Ryan Pall steps up to bat and targets dead center on this base hit. Umbright crosses the plate, and this game is tied at 2-2 after three innings.
Central and North trade runs in the fifth inning
Over to the fifth inning, still tied at two. Max Steele gets North started with a base hit to right. He scores on an RBI fielder’s choice from Tumpane to give the Huskies the lead back.
Then Santiago Lopez chops into a routine groundout, or does he? The throw is mishandled, and more insurance is on the board for the blue and orange, who take a 5-2 lead.
In the bottom half, Pall for Central comes to the rescue with another base hit. Mark Williams can cruise on home, and it’s a two-run game.
Up next is Lucas Wallace, who thinks he also just chopped in a groundout, but the throw to first skips away. That means two more runs cross the plate with Cooper Page and Pall coming home, and this game is tied at 5 after five.
That score remains the same as we enter the seventh inning. Lopez is hoping for a favorable hit for the visitors, but Mike Page makes the catch for the third out, and now the Hawks have a shot to win it in the bottom of the seventh after the catch from King Mike.
It’s Cooper Page starting the bottom half off via a base hit, and he represents the winning run.
Ryan Pall with a walk-off dinger for the Redhawks
Now two on and one out with Pall up to the plate. He wants to end this game in style, so here’s a rocket out to left field, over the wall, and goodbye. We have a winner. Ryan Pall with a three-run walk-off dinger to win the game for the Redhawks. That deserves a water bath as Naperville Central takes the opening game of the series, 8-5.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!
