Reputations are built and developed over the length of time.
When it comes to Naperville Central sophomore left-hander Ryan Eiermann, that timetable is being ramped up considerably.
Eiermann struck out a season-high 14 to help Naperville Central snap a four-game losing streak Tuesday with a 10-0 DuPage Valley Conference victory in six innings over crosstown rival Naperville North.
“With just the wind blowing, I was just throwing a two-seam (fastball) to make some more movement and then my curveball was on,” said Eiermann, who improved to 2-0 and has yet to give up an earned run.
The decision to flip-flop Eiermann and senior Glenn Kozlowski in the rotation wasn’t necessarily an easy decision for Naperville Central coach Mike Stock, as both have thrown well for the Redhawks.
But with Eiermann seemingly getting better with every trip to the mound, that decision became a necessary one
“Ryan was real tough,” Stock said of Eiermann, who has struck out 44 in 26 innings. “Ryan is real tough. He has a great way of just getting after it. A day like (Tuesday), in which we always teach pitch to contact, was a day in which the strikeout was a good thing.”
The Redhawks scored in every inning but the first as seven players had at least one hit. Bobby McMillen, Kevin Clifford and Eiermann had two hits apiece.
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With Naperville Central up 1-0 in the third, Clifford’s two-run double off Huskies’ starter Mark Khoury (1-2) gave Eiermann a three-run lead.
Two innings later, Clifford’s three-run homer to right off Eric Rodriguez pushed the Redhawks’ lead to 8-0. Clifford finished with six RBIs.
“It was more of a mental focus and we worked really hard in practice,” Clifford said. “We came in this morning for morning hitting and we’re all really focused on just getting the job done and sit on the pitches and studying the pitcher and just taking the mental side of the game very seriously.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy one. But we came out with the bats and it worked out for us.”
McMillen, Eiermann and Liam Heath accounted for the other RBIs for Naperville Central (7-7, 1-3), which pounded out 10 hits against four pitchers.
Of the 10 players for Naperville North (6-7, 3-1) to face Eiermann, eight of them struck out at least once as Eiermann fanned the side in three innings and struck out at least two in four innings.
Eiermann struck out the first seven batters he faced and the Huskies didn’t get their first hit until Alex Garon doubled with one out in the third.
Christian Barczi and Sam LaScala were the only two other Huskies to get hits off Eiermann, who threw 95 pitches.
“We got dominated,” Naperville North coach Carl Hunckler said. “We got dominated by their pitcher. We got into a couple situations, whether it be because of walks or errors that their better hitters were in a position and (Clifford) got a big hit for them, (McMillen) got a big hit for them.
“You try to keep those guys out of the game, but they were in the position to get big hits and they got big hits.”
Baumgartner is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.