By Drake Skleba

 

HINSDALE ? After being picked as the No. 2 team in Illinois in the preseason, Downers Grove South (24-13) had struggled through a frustrating regular season.

 

But it looks like the Mustangs have turned the corner after their thrilling 3-1 victory over defending champion Naperville Central to win the Hinsdale Central Regional championship Saturday.

 

Kansas State-bound RHP Matt Wivinis (4-5) fired a complete-game six-hitter with seven strikeouts against the defending champs. In the fifth inning, Wivinis gave himself an insurance run when he delivered a clutch two-out RBi single to give DGS a 3-1 lead.

 

Downers Grove South picked up an unearned run against Naperville Central?s junior RHP Ian Lewandowski (8-3) in the bottom of the first. Naperville Central would tie things up at 1-1 on an RBI groundout from Redhawk cleanup man senior Jake DeVoy.

 

In the DGS fifth, Mustang No. 9 hitter, Kevin Strelak, singled to lead off the fifth. Lewandowski fanned the next two Mustang batters and appeared to be pitching out of trouble in the inning. Senior C Nick Tenerelli, who hit a two-run bomb in the Mustangs? 2-0 win over Oswego East on Friday, delivered again, this time ripping a clutch two-out single to score Strelak with the lead run. Wivinis followed with his single to finish the scoring in the game.

 

?It was great to beat the defending state champs,? said Tenerelli. ?I?m feeling really good at the plate right now. I had a big day yesterday and it continued today. Matt (Wivinis) was outstanding today for us. He is a great pitcher. I?ve had to bat against him in BP, and believe me, it was no fun.?

 

Wivinis finished off the Redhawks in the sixth and seventh to send the Mustangs to next week?s Class 4A Neuqua Valley sectional semifinals.

 

?My defense played great for me today,? said Wivinis. ?They made some big double plays. My curveball was really working for me. It felt good to drive in the insurance run in the fifth.?

 

Downers Grove South will meet No. 4 Plainfield North (31-2) at 4:30 on Wednesday, June 1 at Neuqua Valley. Plainfield North defeated Joliet West 5-2 to win the Plainfield South Regional championship.

 

?I am really proud for our program to get this regional championship,? said DGS Head Coach Darren Orel. ?Matt (Wivinis) has had his ups and downs this season but was outstanding today for us. We needed and received a great performance from Matt. We played great defense and Nick Tenerelli, who is on a hot streak, came up with the big clutch single in the fifth.?

 

The game marked the end of the illustrious coaching career of Naperville Central?s IHSBCA Hall of Fame head coach Bill Seiple. In his 30 years at Naperville Central, Seiple won 711 games for the Redskins/Redhawks. Seiple?s Redhawks took home the Class 2A State Championship in 2006 and won the Class 4A title in 2010.

 

?I am really proud of the way my kids battled today,? said Seiple. ?I really enjoyed coaching this group. This season was a lot of fun.?