DVC Baseball continues over Spring Break on Monday, with the Waubonsie Valley and Willowbrook Warrior squads facing off on a cold and windy afternoon. Waubonsie dropped a one-run contest to York on Saturday, 5-4 and Willowbrook enters on a four-game winning streak. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Willowbrook baseball and Waubonsie both score two runs in the first inning
Willowbrook works three straight walks to start the ballgame, forcing Waubonsie starter Cole Ruggeri off the mound early. Nick Lambert comes on to relieve but allows a run on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Vinny Ippolito. Willowbrook adds one more run on a single from Sam Marrese.
Lambert settles in with some help from Shane Torres behind the plate who guns down the runner at second. Lambert freezes Ryan Bannon with a slider to get out of the inning.
Waubonsie responds in turn, first from Josh Hung and this grounder to the left side that scores one. Ryan Lucas singles up the middle to score Hung two batters later, tying it at 2 runs apiece after the first inning.
Willowbrook continues to add on runs before the homeside responds
In the second, Lucas and Nate Cerilli combine for a heads-up defensive play, nailing the lead runner on a slow-roller.
Torres is up to bat in the bottom half and rips a double to right-center off of this Noah Edison fastball, but he’s stranded at second to end the inning.
Bannon answers with his own RBI double to right field the next inning. He comes around to score with Willowbrook manufacturing offense, including this Nathan Mulholland sacrifice fly to right field.
Chasing four runs in the third, Noah Pilon singles through the left side before Cerilli doubles to opposite field, scoring two runs. Through three innings, Willowbrook leads 6-4.
Cooper Chapple comes in to relieve Waubonsie and battles through early struggles. Ippolito logs another RBI on a single up the middle, but Chapple catches the courtesy runner napping, forcing a rundown off of the pickoff.
From there, Chapple is cruising. A steady balance of fastballs and sweepers while painting the outer third freezes hitter after hitter.
Still down three, Seth Nielsen lays down a bunt and beats the throw from Edison, but the Waubonsie offense stays cold.
In the next half inning, Torres nabs his second runner of the ballgame, preventing a Willowbrook rally.
Max Wilkison is on for the save, and he sits down all five batters he faces, including this game-ending strikeout.
Willowbrook secures the win, 7-4, and improves its win streak to five in a row. They’ll take on Yorkville on Wednesday. Waubonsie Valley falls to 2-3 and begins a trip down south to Memphis during the break.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page.