Ben Rozeboom wanted Naperville Central to keep playing for personal reasons Tuesday.
He wanted back in.
Rozeboom, a Redhawks’ senior, slept through his alarm, arriving during warmups for a 10 a.m. elimination game in the Phil Lawler Summer Classic at North Central College.
Rozeboom was left out of the lineup, but returned for the second game in the afternoon.
He rewarded his coach’s faith.
Rozeboom went 2-for-3, drove in two runs and reached base three times as Central beat Fremd 7-3 to reach the semifinals of the summer tournament.
The Redhawks (14-11) earlier rallied past Warren 3-1, much to Rozeboom’s relief.
“It motivated me to play harder, to show coach that I’m not that kind of kid that slacks off,” Rozeboom said. “When I play, I’m going to give my 110 percent. It was amazing to come back and play well.”
Central advances to play Plainfield South at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Boomers Stadium in Schaumburg.
The Redhawks won the tournament once — in 1989 — when current coach Mike Stock was a player.
“It’s been awhile,” Stock said. “We came out (Tuesday), we played well and it starts and ends on the mound.”
Central’s pitching has indeed been its catalyst this week.
Ryan Eiermann threw five shutout innings Monday. Charlie Walzer followed up with a complete-game three-hitter against Warren.
Senior Nick Rietz kept the train moving, going the distance and striking out eight vs. Fremd. The lanky lefty threw just 4 2/3 innings of relief this spring, but started and win Central’s regional semifinal last week.
“That’s the best he’s looked since I’ve been with him,” Stock said. “He was finishing curveballs under right-handers’ hands, they were swinging over it, and he was really coming at them. He never let up.”
Rietz took advantage of playing in Naperville, retreating home between games for an air-conditioning rest and a cold shower.
Then he did what he does best.
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“Keep them off balance with my curveball,” said Rietz, who scattered seven hits. “I’m not going to blow my fastball by them every time like Eiermann, but I’ll keep them off-balance and get ahead. I’m finally getting my shot in this tournament and proving myself.”
So did Rozeboom and Tommy Carlsen in Tuesday’s second game.
Central’s lineup scored a combined 36 runs in four regional games, but was shut out for 13 innings in the quarterfinals. The Redhawks awoke against Fremd, sparked by their top two hitters.
Carlsen was 3-for-3 and reached base four times, twice scoring on Rozeboom’s singles. Eiermann singled in two runs in a four-run third and Jack Hughes had two hits and two RBIs.
Central’s offense got going just in time in the first game. Connor Gurnik’s sacrifice fly tied Warren 1-1 in the sixth. Jack Baxter and Aaron Szczepanski both singled and scored go-ahead runs on a wild pitch in the seventh.
“It was a great feeling to come back and play the way we did,” Rozeboom said.
This spring, Rozeboom hit .257 in 45 at-bats. A utility player, he is getting his first crack at regular playing time this summer at second base.
Rozeboom, who bats second, and leadoff hitter Carlsen share an important characteristic for top-of-the-order types.
“They both can swing it and they both can run,” Stock said. “They put the ball on the ground and they have a chance to beat out anything.”
Joshua Welge is a freelance writer for the Naperville Sun.