Lakes tops Warren for 20th triumph
North Suburban Conference Prairie Division contender Lakes got its 20th win of the season by beating one of the top teams in the NSC Lake Division, Warren.
The Eagles won 8-6 to improve to 20-9.
They extended a 2-1 lead by rolling up 4 runs in the third inning.
Mark Ortman brought in a run on a double and then Paul Kukulka, Jake Brown and Andrew Tubek each drove in runs with singles.
In the seventh inning, after Warren (25-5) had cut its deficit to 6-3, the Eagles scored two more runs on a safety squeeze by Brown. Those insurance runs wound up winning the game for Lakes as Warren scored 3 runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Ortman finished the day with 2 hits, while Brown chipped in with 2 RBI.
Winning pitcher Nick Hibbing moved his record to a sparkling 7-0 by striking out 10 and allowing just 4 hits.
Carmel sweeps Marian: Carmel keeps chugging along in its quest to win the East Suburban Catholic Conference title.
The Corsairs won both games of a doubleheader against league foe Marian Catholic, 3-1 and 1-0.
In the first game, Carmel out-hit Marian Catholic 6-1 thanks to 2 hits apiece from Nick Battalini and Jimmy Spagna. One of Spagna's hits went for a double.
Teammate Chris Divarco also got a double.
On the mound, Paul Poirier got the victory with 8 strikeouts. He also gave up only 1 hit.
In Game 2, Derek Jordan went 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in the only run of the game.
The Corsairs, who are now 22-8 overall and 13-3 in ESCC play, also got a double from Mike Pudlow and 6 strikeouts from pitcher Jonathan Huisel, who was credited with the win.
Grayslake Central 7, Prairie Ridge 5: In a must-win game for Grayslake Central, which is out to keep hopes alive for a Fox Valley Fox Division title, the moment was seized.
The Rams made up a 1-run deficit and then gave themselves a cushion by scoring 4 runs in the top of the seventh. They are now 23-7 overall and 16-5 in the division and trail Prairie Ridge in the standings by just one game.
In the seventh, Mike Gentile doubled off the left-center field wall to bring in a run and tie the game. Then Jackson White smacked a double that scored two runs and ultimately scored on a hit up the middle by Kevin DeRue.
Both DeRue and Gentile had 2 hits apiece.
Grayslake Central had 5 errors and the final one allowed a Prairie Ridge run to score, but then pitcher Matt Murphy retired the next batter on a ground out to end the game. Murphy moves to 7-0 on the mound for the season.
"Our defense picked the wrong game to be sloppy," Grayslake Central coach Troy Whalen said. "But we were able to overcome errors with some clutch hitting and timely pitching."
Libertyville 7, Palatine 4 (8): Libertyville scored 3 runs in the top of the eighth inning to break up a tie game and get the nonconference win.
Brad Martin had a big day for the Wildcats, going 3-for-4 with a double. Teammate Tyler Schweigert also had a double.
On the mound, Matt Dohse went 4 innings and got the win to help push Libertyville to 18-9 on the season.
Wilmot 4, Grant 3: Despite a 3-for-3 performance by Kyle Hunter, Grant came up just short against Wilmot.
Thomas Gier and Tyler Gorski each added 2 hits for the Bulldogs.
Nazareth sweeps St. Viator: St. Viator (15-14, 7-9) managed only 8 hits in the East Suburban Catholic Conference doubleheader after losing 3-2 and 6-1 at Nazareth (21-7, 10-5).
Cory Kay homered in the opener but the Lions lost on a run in the bottom of the seventh. Jake Mastrangeli had 2 hits and John Scully drove in a run in Game 2.