PLAINFIELD – Yorkville senior Gavin Dobbels was informed midday Thursday that he was going to be the starting pitcher at Plainfield North, scant hours before he’d toe the rubber.

The crafty right-hander didn’t even bat an eye at the notion at the quick tab from coach Tom Cerven and went out on the hill and produced a beauty.

[ Photos: Yorkville vs. Plainfield North baseball ]

Dobbels – in only his second start of the season – tossed 88 pitches over six innings of stellar work, allowing only two unearned runs on three hits while striking out five, walking just one, and hitting a batter as he led the Foxes to an 8-2 Southwest Prairie Conference West triumph over the Tigers.

“At about noon today I got the text that I’d be starting, and from there mentally I began to get ready,” Dobbels said. “I’ve been waiting to get another chance to prove myself on the mound other than mostly in relief so far, and it worked out pretty well. I just went out there, threw strikes with my changeup working well and trusted my defense behind me and we ended up with the big win.”

Dobbels helped his own cause at the plate with two key hits and an RBI as Yorkville (15-2) added to its impressive record with the senior standout shining front and center. The Foxes evened the three-game series with the Tigers, with the resumption of Wednesday’s suspended game scheduled for Friday.

“This was only Gavin’s second start this season so far, and we told him we were giving him the ball today, so he went out there and did very well for us,” Cerven said. “I couldn’t have been any happier with how he battled on the mound to help us earn a huge conference victory against a very good team.”

Plainfield North (8-6) got a solid pitching performance as well from lefty Kash Koslowski, who allowed only two runs, four hits and one walk while striking out seven in five innings of work, departing with the game tied at 2.

But the Foxes plated four runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to win the game going away.

“I thought Kash threw really well, but after that we walked five more guys, hit a batter, and you’re not going to win many games doing that down the stretch in a tough ballgame,” Plainfield North coach John Darlington said. “We’ll just have to regroup, refocus because we’ve got another big game with Yorkville tomorrow.”

The Foxes drew first blood in the top of the second when with two outs senior Ryan Buck blasted a solo home run to right-center to give his team a 1-0 lead.

“[Koslowski] was giving me nothing to hit at first, and then on a 2-0 pitch I got something I liked,” Buck said. “The wind was blowing out a bit and I took advantage of it.”

Yorkville went up 2-0 in the top of the fourth. With one out, senior Owen Ross, who had two hits, tripled to deep right and came home when Dobbels followed with an RBI double to the fence in left-center.

“It was a good at bat and got a lot of curve balls earlier so I was looking for one again,” Dobbels said. “I got another right over the plate and got a nice swing on it.”

Plainfield North countered with two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning off Dobbels as two Yorkville miscues led to a pair of Tigers runs that tied the game at 2 after four innings.

But the Foxes blew things open in the top of the sixth against losing pitcher Thomas Fitzgerald. With one out, Dobbels singled, Buck walked and Ryan Harris was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Junior Everett Ford then reached on an infield error that plated Dobbels before senior Isaiah Rodriguez, who had two hits, stroked a two-run single to right that brought home Buck and Harris to give Yorkville a 5-2 lead. Ford scored after a wild pitch that put the Foxes up 6-2.

Dobbels completed his day on the hill by rendering the Tigers harmless in the home half of the sixth before the Foxes added two more runs in the top of the seventh after RBI plate appearances from Harris and Rodriquez.

Ross then relieved Dobbels on the mound in the bottom of the seventh with two strikeouts, including one looking to end the contest in style for the visitors.