Hinsdale Central comes back to split with Dukes

Quality pitching has been a given for Hinsdale Central during its 12-0 start this season.

Unfortunately, the Red Devils suffered through one of their toughest days on the bump in quite some time during Game 1 of their West Suburban Conference Silver Division doubleheader opposite York on Saturday.

Four Hinsdale Central pitchers surrendered nine walks, three hit batsmen and three wild pitches, and York took advantage as the Dukes handed the Red Devils their first loss of the season, 9-6.

"Any time you give up (a lot of) free passes you don't deserve to win and we didn't," said Hinsdale Central coach Tom Dorrance afterward. "We don't deserve to win that game. It's not the end of the world. It's a learning experience. We didn't pitch as well as we can pitch -- not even close."

Usually dominant senior Nick Kurash started for the Red Devils (13-1, 4-1), but lasted only three innings. He threw 85 pitches over that span, struck out four and walked six. The Dukes capitalized on four consecutive walks in the third by tallying six runs.

"I think he was out of balance," Dorrance said. "He just wasn't in sync at all. It just wasn't happening. You do that and you walk a bunch of guys and throw 85 pitches in three innings, you can't afford to do that. Kevin Quirke did a nice job (in relief).

"Kurash will be fine. He was just a little out of sync today."

Quirke pitched the fourth and fifth for Hinsdale Central, and held York scoreless through those innings. Anthony Fountas and Charlie Thomas finished up on the hill.

Hinsdale Central jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a two-run second inning. Mark Noth and Brett Morse executed a perfect hit-and-run, as Morse singled through an opening into right field. The ball skipped past York's right fielder for a two-base error, allowing Noth to score and Morse to advance to third.

Second baseman Drew Bailey then drove in Morse with a double.

"We had the hit-and-run on, and (Morse) put it in on the right side," Dorrance said. "Brett had a great day today at bat. He was just outstanding."

Following York's big six-run third, the Red Devils answered with three runs to pull within one of the Dukes, 6-5. Noth and Morse delivered run-scoring at-bats during the inning, while Alex Bellusci drove in another with a sacrifice fly.

Hinsdale Central did tie the contest at 6-all in the fifth as Bellusci singled to drive in courtesy runner Kris Leksas (running for Colin Cimala, who had reached on a fielder's choice).

The Dukes, however, put the game away in the sixth as Kevin Sullivan smacked a three-run homer.
Morse went 3-for-3 for the game, while Bellusci and Noth also had multiple-hit games for the Red Devils.

"We're not going to make any major changes," Dorrance said. "We'll keep going with what's got us 12 wins so far, and hopefully get back on track."

The Red Devils wasted no time starting a new streak in the second game of the doubleheader.
Powered by a three-run home run by Colin Cimala, Hinsdale Central won Game 2 by a 9-7 score to avenge the loss in the opener.

Andrew Nicholas also homered in the win for the Red Devils.

Hinsdale Central's win streak reached 12 with a 6-2 win over Willowbrook. Anthony Fountas tossed a four-hitter with five strikeouts in the victory, and the Red Devils made the most of their six hits.

Noth's two-RBI double in the first inning opened the scoring, then with the score 2-all, consecutive two-out RBI singles by Nicholas and Tobi Adeyemi put the Red Devils ahead to stay.

Morse scored the final two Hinsdale Central runs, first on a sacrifice fly and later on a Sam Katz RBI single.

Mike Sandrolini's e-mail address is msandrolini@libertysuburban.com