Ryan Eiermann’s relief was a big relief for Naperville Central.
The Texas Christian recruit’s spring didn’t finish the way he wished. The senior left-hander lost his last two decisions. Eiermann didn’t even play in the regional final loss to Neuqua Valley.
On Tuesday, though, Eiermann flashed the dominance from when he first burst onto the scene as a sophomore.
Eiermann threw 6 2/3 innings of no-hit relief, striking out 13 in the ninth-seeded Redhawks’ 9-3 win over top-seeded Neuqua Valley in a Hinsdale South Regional quarterfinal game in Naperville.
Eiermann retired the first 17 batters until walking Eric Nelson to lead off the seventh. After a two-out error, Eiermann got Neuqua leadoff hitter James Gargano swinging at a high fastball.
“Haven’t been there in a while,” Eiermann said of his dominant form. “It felt good to be back with this team. I feel better than ever.”
Central advanced to play at noon Wednesday against fifth-seeded Plainfield East, an 11-10 winner over Benet. Eiermann was told he might be needed Tuesday, and it came sooner than expected.
After Noah Herdman’s two-run homer gave Neuqua a 3-1 lead, Eiermann relieved Tyler Brinker with two on and one out in the first inning. In danger of the game getting away from Central, Eiermann instead struck out the next two.
He never looked back.
“Ryan threw really well (Tuesday),” Central coach Mike Stock said. “He was just so economical.”
Indeed, Eiermann needed just 70 pitches to breeze through seven innings. Even more impressive, he did so with just his two-seam fastball and four-seam fastball that sat at 84 mph and topped at 87.
Eiermann didn’t throw a single off-speed pitch.
“He was spotting the fastball,” Stock said. “If he can put the fastball under the hands and run it away from them, that’s when he’s good as when he is throwing competitive pitches out of the zone.”
Neuqua’s seen it before. Eiermann tossed a one-hitter against the Wildcats in the spring. But Neuqua entered with just one loss this summer.
“He was totally dominant with an 84 mph fastball and nothing else,” Neuqua coach Robin Renner said. “However, he’s good enough and smart enough to know, give me the ball and let’s go.”
Central still trailed 3-1 before finally breaking through in the fifth against Neuqua starter Ricky Castro.
More Top Picks Best Medical Alert Systems With Fall Detection
Josh Boomgarden reached on a grounder in the hole to lead things off, and with one out, Ben Rozeboom was safe on a high throw. Connor Gurnik then golfed Castro’s 0-2 fastball into the gap for a tying two-run double.
“I was just thinking he’s not going to get another pitch past me,” said Gurnik, who recently committed to Cal Poly. “I just shortened up and found the gap.”
Jack Hughes followed with a liner off Castro’s foot to score Gurnik with the go-ahead run, and the Redhawks never looked back. Central scored five more in the sixth to break things open.
It’s been a busy summer of baseball for Eiermann away from Naperville.
He was in Las Vegas earlier this summer and last week traveled to Atlanta with Chicago-based Elite Baseball for the Perfect Game wooden bat tournament. Elite Baseball took third out of 384 teams. On July 20, he heads to Phoenix.
Tuesday was just his third game with Central this summer. He feels he’s put his spring struggles behind him.
“It’s all mental,” Eiermann said. “I knew at the beginning of the spring I wasn’t myself, and I didn’t feel like myself. It’s nice to get back at it and help my team out.”
Joshua Welge is a freelance writer for the Naperville Sun.