Jimmy Heck tosses a complete-game, five-hit shutout and got stronger as the game progressed to lead Benilde-St. Margaret's to a 5-0 North Suburban Conference win at St. Francis.

Four of the Saints' five hits came in the game's first three innings as Heck needed 44 pitches to get through the first three innings, as the game remained scoreless.

The Red Knights finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning when Heck led off the inning with a single and pinch runner Andrew Muranne stole second.

Murnane had to be replaced by Willie Falk after getting spiked in the hand on the play at second base in the midst of a four-pitch walk to Gabe MacDonald. Grant Besse followed with a sacrifice bunt and John Backes singled home both Falk and MacDonald, eventually scoring himself on Keaton Studsrud's single through the right side.

From that point, Heck got stronger, needing just 45 pitches over the final four innings, including eight in the seventh to finish his complete-game performance, in which he struckout 10 batters.

Even though the took a three-run lead in the fourth, BSM wasn't done with its scoring. Adding two runs in the fifth when Heck singled with one out and MacDonald and Backes both had RBI doubles.

Backes' three-RBI performance, coupled with a run scored, accounted for four of the Red Knights' five runs. Heck added three hits of his own and MacDonald reached base in all four of his plate appearances, adding two walks and a hit by pitch to his fifth-inning double.

BSM returns home, Saturday, for a 12 p.m. meeting with Section 6AAA foe Wayzata at BSM Field.

 A complete box score, game stats and play-by-play are available here.