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No. 28 Benet out slugs Downers Grove North 15-7

April 1, 2014

By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Director – Illinois/Wisconsin

No. 28 Benet 15, Downers Grove North 7

DOWNERS GROVE, IL – Another typical Chicagoland spring day – 35 mph gusting winds with temps in the high 30’s, only this time the wind was blowing out and the Benet offense took full advantage.

Senior Joe Boyle was the star of the offensive show for the Redwings today. The Northern Illinois commit went 3-for-5 with seven RBI including the rare inside the park grand slam.

Boyle got the scoring started for Benet in the first inning, working a quality at bat to lift a sacrifice fly to right field scoring junior left fielder Connor Hickey. The Redwings jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings including an RBI doubles from seniors Jason Blohm and Anthony Redina.

Downers Grove North roared back in the third with a six run outburst chasing Benet starting pitcher Jon Kruppe from the game. The Trojans started the third with five consecutive hits highlighted by a two RBI single off the bat of junior third baseman Myles Farley.

The Trojans would tack on one more in the fourth to take a 7-3 lead. Junior outfielder Patrick Geraghty drove home senior Emil Baftirovski on a sacrifice fly to right. But that would be the end of the Trojan offense as left hander Connor Hayes entered the game in relief.

With a one run lead Hayes gave up back to back hits to start his outing, with runners at second and third and nobody out Hayes then retired the next three batters via the strikeout, leaving the tying and winning runs stranded. In fact Hayes went on to retire all nine of his outs by way of the strikeout.

Facing a four run deficit through four full innings of play, the Redwings relentlessly clawed back with a five run fifth inning to take an 8-7 lead. The highlight of the inning cam when Joe Boyle beat a diving centerfield over his head to clear the bases and score himself with rare and always exciting inside the park grand slam, also tying the game at seven.

The Redwings added one more in the frame on some sloppy Trojan defense, taking an 8-7 lead.

As Hayes continued to mow down the Trojans, Benet would send 12 hitters to the plate in the seventh scoring seven runs and putting the game out of reach with a final score of 15-7. Boyle capped of his day batting twice in the seventh with a single and triple that plated two of the Redwing runs. 

Statistical Highlights 

Benet

+ Joe Boyle went 3-for-5, a double short of the cycle, including an inside the park grand slam. Boyle also had seven RBI and scored two runs.

+ Connor Hayes went 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored. Hayes also picked up the win in relief striking out all nine outs he recorded in his three innings of work. Hayes walked none and allowed two hits.

+ Jason Blohm added three hits in four at bats including a double. He scored twice and drove in two.

+ Chris Makowski drove in two and scored onne on his 2-for-4 day including a triple.

+ Anthony Redina had two RBI including a safety squeeze and a double on a 2-for-4 day, also scoring a run.

Downers Grove North

+ McNeese State commit, Joe Provenzano had two hits in four at bats, scored one run and one RBI, including a stolen base.

+ Sophomore left handed hitting catcher Brendan Shanahan went 2-for-4 on the day. 

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