By Sean Duncan

 

JOLIET - No way, not a chance Naperville Central senior catcher Ryan Walsh could do it again. You see, in each of the No. 2-ranked Redhawks’ playoff victories, Walsh had delivered a late-inning hit that either won the game, tied the game, or iced the game.

 

Wouldn’t you know it, here came Walsh again strutting to the plate Saturday, bases jacked, his team trailing by one in the bottom of the sixth to No. 6 Plainfield North, season on the brink. No way he could do it again, right?

 

No doubt. Walsh ripped a two-run single through the left side of the infield to lift Naperville Central to a 5-4 comeback victory over Plainfield North in the Class 4A Plainfield South Sectional final played at Joliet Junior College.

 

“I don’t know, I guess when the clutch time comes, I’m comfortable,” said Walsh, who has seven RBI in the last four playoff games. “I was ready for the opportunity.”

 

The Redhawks (35-4), who survived the toughest (and most ridiculous) sectional in the state, advance to the Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional on Monday for the second straight year, where it will face the winner of Minooka and O’Fallon.

 

Plainfield North (30-7) took a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth when shortstop Brad Porter led off the inning with his second double of the game. Porter stole third, and scored on Brian Evak’s sacrifice fly.

 

In the bottom of the sixth, Matt Cmiel (2-for-2) led off the inning with a single, but was quickly erased when Plainfield North catcher Zac Pacanowski gunned him down stealing on the first pitch. Naperville Central then responded with consecutive infield singles by Marc Mantucca (2-for-3) and Bobby Czarnowski (1-for-3, two runs, RBI). Czarnowski’s single drew the ire of the Plainfield North contingent, as the first-base umpire looked for help on a bang-bang play, for which the home plate umpire, who incidentally had his own difficulties with his consistently shifting strike zone, called him safe. After the call, Plainfield North starting pitcher Scott Vachon (8-1) plunked Nick Linne to load up the bases, which brought up Walsh.

 

“He’s gotten a big hit in every one of our four playoff games,” said Naperville Central coach Bill Seiple. “The kids are expecting him to do it.”

 

Junior left-hander Dan Ludwig (8-0) retired the seventh in order to secure the win. Ludwig allowed nine hits and two earned runs, striking out six with no walks in a complete-game effort.

 

Plainfield North scored three runs in the fourth to mount a 3-1 lead after Sean Renzi led off the inning with a triple that missed being a homer by a fingernail. Naperville Central committed two errors in the inning and Travis Hawkes added a run-scoring single.

 

Naperville Central scored a run in the bottom of the fourth before it tied it back up in the fifth on first baseman Shane Conlon’s RBI double.

 

“I didn’t feel like we were in trouble,” said Conlon. “We weren’t playing too well, but we’ve been coming from behind the whole time in the playoffs. We didn’t back down and kept battling.”