Davis delights, Reckert’s a hit in another Mundelein win
An unlucky break for Mundelein catcher Tony Zamora was a fortunate one for Logan Reckert.
Not even having No. 13 on the mound was going to change the Mustangs’ luck Wednesday.
Instead, right-hander Eric Davis threw a five-inning no-hitter, and Reckert’s 3-run pinch-hit double highlighted Mundelein’s North Suburban Lake Division victory over visiting Lake Forest.
The Mustangs’ 10-0 win hiked their record to — fittingly — 10-0. They’re 2-0 in the NSC Lake.
“I guess I would probably say our defense has been the best thing — that and our pitching,” said 6-foot-4 senior first baseman Ryan Dolan, whose walk-off 2-run double gave him a 3-RBI day. “A lot of pitchers have stepped up.”
Count Davis among them.
The senior didn’t pitch a lot last season, but No. 13 has won both of his starts this season. His no-hitter was the first of his high school career.
“Just preparation,” Davis said of the key to his performance.
He kept Lake Forest off-balance with a fastball, changeup and slider.
“Definitely the changeup had more movement than usual,” Davis said. “I was setting it up with a fastball, first-pitch strike, and went from there.”
Davis was throwing to Zamora to start the game, but Zamora took a J.R. Reimer pitch off his left arm, just above the elbow, in the second inning. Zamora caught the top of the third, but when it was his turn to hit in the third, Mundelein coach Todd Parola called on the junior Reckert to pinch-hit.
“Coach called me in (to the dugout) and I had to go down and warm up,” Reckert said. “Then when Tony came up to bat, (his arm) was bothering him, and Coach told me to start swinging. I had to warm up quick.”
Reckert worked the count full before taking a Reimer fastball the other way, hitting it over the right fielder’s head. Reckert’s double cleared the bases and hiked Mundelein’s lead to 5-0. Derek Parola’s RBI double in the second had given Davis the only run he needed. Mike Metz’s sacrifice fly made it a 2-0 game.
“We got guys that can start the game or come into the game (off the bench), and it’s the same,” Davis said. “It’s fun to pitch on this team because you know if you give up one or two (runs) here or there, they’re going to pick you up all the time. It’s definitely a confidence (boost).”
Mundelein, which scored twice in the fourth without the benefit of a hit, took advantage of Lake Forest’s inability to throw strikes. The Scouts walked eight Mustangs and hit three. Parola, Dolan and Will Farmer (double, RBI, stolen base, 2 runs scored) each had 2 hits. Parola, Farmer, Thomas Gandolfi (stolen base, 2 runs) and Ryan Hollander each coaxed a pair of walks.
“Everybody’s hitting the ball,” Reckert said. “Our pitchers are throwing strikes, and our defense is making all the plays it can.”
Davis walked only one, while striking out five. He set down the last 11 batters he faced.
“He was good,” said Reckert, who caught Davis the final two innings. “He was throwing strikes, and his changeup had a lot of movement. Both of his off-speed pitches were looking good.”
Lake Forest (0-2, 0-2) had only 1 hit — by Sam Templeman — in its loss to Mundelein on Tuesday.
“Todd’s guys always do a nice job attacking the zone — throwing strikes, getting ahead and being aggressive,” Lake Forest coach Ray Del Fava said. “They were the aggressors. We haven’t faced a lot of live pitching, and we were back on our heels, and it showed.”