Naperville Central’s Michael Umbright stayed in the moment Saturday.
The sophomore infielder felt playing composed and poised gave him the best chance to ignite a rally in the fifth inning for the Redhawks. And that’s exactly what he did.
“We never give up on the game,” said Umbright, whose RBI single in the bottom of the fifth helped close a four-run deficit. “We hit the ball hard, but the game didn’t go our way.”
On a day of upsets in the Romeoville Sectional, Naperville Central’s quest for a Class 4A regional title ended with a 5-3 loss to unheralded Oswego at Waubonsie Valley.
The 10th-seeded Panthers (17-13) will play at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the sectional semifinals vs. Downers Grove South. Plainfield North pulled off a 12-4 upset of Yorkville.
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Fifth-seeded Neuqua Valley (18-8-1) ousted defending state champion Plainfield East 2-0 and will play the ninth-seeded Tigers in the other semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Saturday proved just how treacherous and difficult winning a regional can be.
“If you tried to bracket this sectional out and predict it, that would be a futile effort,” Naperville Central coach Mike Stock said. “You talk to any coach. The seedings come out and they matter, but they really don’t.
“You know you’re going to play a great program that is well-coached and well-prepared against you.”
Oswego followed the same script as Friday’s 2-0 semifinal win over host Waubonsie. The Panthers took the early lead to put the pressure on the Redhawks.
Junior infielder Cade Duffin smashed a two-run homer Saturday in the top of the first inning for a 2-0 lead. Oswego also scored both runs in the top of the first Friday.
“I told the boys yesterday in the first inning we always have to come and start hot,” Duffin said. “We fought the whole game.
“I got lucky on the pitch. The wind was blowing out and it carried.”
Bryson Mello (2-1), a junior left-hander, picked up the pitching win for Oswego. He threw 4 1/3 innings, striking out four and giving up just two hits.
Mello survived six walks. Naperville Central (22-7) ended up generating nine.
Oswego’s outfield was stellar, however. Five times, Naperville Central drove balls deep to the wall, but the Panthers made sure they were just long outs.
Sophomore Eddie Scaccia had four strikeouts in relief for Oswego.
Naperville Central repeatedly hit the ball hard but could not find the necessary gaps or open spaces to take advantage.
“We were chasing the whole game,” Stock said. “But I felt like the whole game, we were just one swing away.
“We never got the bases-clearing hit. We had about four opportunities to get it, and we just never quite got it.”
Junior shortstop Pambos Nicoloudes echoed Stock’s sentiment.
“We put a lot of hard balls in play,” Nicoloudes said. “Some got down and some didn’t. I’m proud of the way we didn’t give up.
“We strung bats together. We got guys on. But we just couldn’t pull through with the runners.”
Second baseman Nick Strieter was the only senior starter Saturday for Naperville Central.
“Whether you have one or 50 seniors, it’s heartbreaking for them,” Stock said. “These kids all know each other and they compete. I’m proud of our kids.
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“I just wish we had longer to play.”
In the end, the big inning never quite materialized for the Redhawks.
“We played hard and hit some nice balls.” Umbright said. “From the start of our season, in Edwardsville, I was a little timid, my first varsity start.
“But these guys carried me all the way and made me feel like I was one of them. I’m sad to see it end.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.