One enough for Buffalo Grove's Sanders

Greg Sanders got a nice boost when Buffalo Grove scored a first-inning run off Barrington's Sean Buchholz.

Little did Sanders know it was all the offensive support he would get. It turned out to be more than enough for the senior right-hander in Wednesday's Mid-Suburban League baseball crossover at Barrington.

Sanders (4-1) threw a 2-hitter as BG (12-7, 5-2) held on for a 1-0 victory in the tense duel with Buchholz.

"Usually I need more than that," Sanders said with a smile as he came in with an ERA of 6.30 but has allowed only 1 earned run in his last 12 innings. "When I got the run I felt in rhythm and got in a groove and started going from there."

And finished by not allowing a runner past second base as he mixed his fastball, curveball and changeup to throw 54 of his 87 pitches for strikes. Sanders had 3 strikeouts and 2 walks as BG won its fourth straight to move into a tie for first in the East with Hersey.

"He had a rough spot earlier in the year but I couldn't be happier for Greg," said BG coach Jeff Grybash.

"He was amazing," said BG outfielder Jeremy Salzman, who drove in the only run with a single. "He's come so far since his sophomore and junior year. This year he's our No. 2 guy and doing a great job. He just wins."

Buchholz (3-2) allowed only 5 hits and had 10 strikeouts and 1 walk as he threw 68 of his 106 pitches for strikes. It was the 10th time Barrington (11-11, 3-4) has allowed 2 runs or less and 17th with 5 runs or less but also the fourth time it was shutout.

"Once the fifth, sixth and seventh inning came around he spotted every single pitch with precision," Salzman said.

BG's Ryan Nisbet drew a one-out walk in the first, took second on a wild pitch and went to third when Steve Pollakov (2-for-3) beat out a chopper to shortstop. Salzman (2-for-3) singled to left on an 0-1 pitch to score Nisbet.

"Our whole pitching staff has done a great job," said Barrington coach Jim Hawrysko. "Offensively we'll come around. We have to believe we can hit.

"The hardest thing in baseball is to hit, and you have to believe you can."

Jim Cook had an infield single in the first and Ricky Alfonso had a two-out single to right in the second off Sanders. The Broncos threatened in the sixth when Cook reached on an error and was sacrificed to second by Anthony Brignola.

Sanders struck out cleanup man Derek Foderaro on a 3-2 curve and got Jack Scheffler to fly to left on a changeup.

Sanders also got 12 groundball outs with third baseman Andrew Van Wazer, shortstop Jake Monson and second baseman Brian Crowell combining for 10 assists. Nisbet made a nice running grab in right-center to rob Jack Kurcab in the second and first baseman Mike Hepner scooped Monson's throw from the hole for the final out.

"I attribute everything to them," Sanders said. "I'm a groundball pitcher and they did a great job."

St. Viator 5, Notre Dame 4 (8 inn.): Robert Romano (5-0) struck out the last 4 hitters he faced as St. Viator (11-7, 4-2) rallied from a 4-0 deficit for the East Suburban Catholic Conference win over Notre Dame (12-6, 4-2) at Oakton.

Romano also had a key sacrifice bunt in the eighth after Brendan King singled and Jake Mastrangeli walked. Brian Wilhite (2-for-3) was intentionally walked and Jack Czeszewski drew the game-winning walk.

Czeszewski also had an RBI single in a 4-run fifth.

Fremd 7, Hersey 1: Fremd (10-7, 5-2) did all of its scoring in the first two innings to move into a tie for first in the MSL West as lefty Clint Terry (5-3) threw a 5-hitter with 7 strikeouts and 1 walk.

Kevin Ciardiello and Evan Wright had 2-run singles in the first and Zenon Kolakowski had 2 doubles for Fremd. Hersey (14-5, 5-2) scored an unearned run in the second on Jay Livesay's RBI single.

Meadows 7, Palatine 3: Rolling Meadows (6-14, 4-3) broke a 2-2 tie on back-to-back doubles by John Bonell and Pat McGinn and an RBI single by Kevin Berry in a 4-run sixth. Winner Matt Hendricks went 62/3 innings and Mike Levy got Cody Bobbit on a bases-loaded groundout for the save.

Joe Campe went 3-for-4 for Palatine (11-9, 4-3).

Conant 8, Elk Grove 2: Donny Duschinsky took a no-hitter into the sixth but Conant (8-6, 2-5) erupted for 7 runs and 6 hits. Kevin Chua's RBI triple broke up the no-hitter and tied the game, Kyle Gizynski had an RBI single and Nate Anderson had a pinch-hit 2-run single.

Conant's Conor Donohue broke up the shutout with a fifth-inning squeeze bunt and Anthony Lauria didn't allow an earned run in 6 innings for the win. Ryan Daubenspeck had a 2-run single in the third for Elk Grove (8-13, 3-4).

Prospect 12, Hoffman 0 (5 inn.): Peter Bonahoom went 3-for-3 with 3 doubles and 4 RBI and winner John Coen scattered 5 hits in 5 innings as Prospect (11-7, 4-3) beat West co-leader Hoffman Estates (9-10, 5-2).

Schaumburg 7, Wheeling 6: Mark Bielanski (3-for-3) and Kevin Hilliard had 2 doubles and Connor McHugh was 3-for-4 for Schaumburg (6-10, 2-5). Josh Matthys doubled for Wheeling (4-15, 0-7).