July 10, 2025
Sports

Raher’s two homers lift Downers South over Hinsdale South

Downers South rallies to win doubleheader opener before falling in night cap

By JASON ROSSI

Bill Ackerman – backerman@shawmedia.com Downers Grove South's Kevin Raher (right) is greeted by teammates after one of his two home runs in the Mustangs' Game 1 win over Hinsdale South Saturday in Downers Grove. (Bill Ackerman)

DOWNERS GROVE — Pitching is Brian Glowicki’s strong suit on the baseball field, but it has been a struggle at times this season.

“It has been a little tough. The beginning of the season, our first few games were in Arizona in 80-degree weather,” Glowicki said. “Coming back to this, it’s been a challenge to get used to the weather and getting a feel for the mound because it’s all been really different.”

Glowicki got the starting nod in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against West Suburban Gold-rival Hinsdale South, and once again the conditions were far from ideal. With winds constantly howling out to left field and temperatures that started in the mid-40s, it was definitely not a pitcher’s day.

Yet Glowicki did enough to keep the Mustangs in a game they ended up winning 7-6.

“I just went out there and battled. I was trying to hit my spots as best I could,” Glowicki said. “It was tough out there in these (windy) conditions, but we battled back and got the win.

Glowicki got tagged for two runs (one unearned) in the fourth inning and surrendered three in the fifth as Hinsdale South took a 6-5 lead. Kevin Raher’s two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth put the Mustangs in front for good and made a winner of Nick Alfini, who pitched two shutout innings in relief of Glowicki and started the 1-6-3 game-ending double play. He worked around two hits in the sixth inning and a one-out single in the seventh to continue his impressive start to the season.

“Alfini is 4-0, all out of the pen like that,” Downers South coach Darren Orel said. “That kid just comes in and plays a role, and there’s not a better kid in the world.”

Raher’s solo homer to lead off the second broke a 1-1 tie and was the first blow in Downers Grove South’s four-run frame.

“Hats off to the kids,” Orel said. “They made some great plays when we had to and got big hits when we needed them.”

Hinsdale South won the second game 11-1, thanks in large part to a seven-run fourth inning. Downers Grove South (8-3) and Hinsdale South (7-2) were set to play the final game of the series Monday in Darien.