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Skoug, Libertyville flying high

Evan Skoug's catcher's mask sailed high, though not as majestically as his ridiculously hard-hit homer, and it punctuated the victory.

Or was it that late-inning home run that so perfectly capped Libertyville's 3-1 win over host Mundelein in the two baseball team's North Suburban Lake Division showdown Tuesday?

Or was it, simply, Skoug's one-hop strike down to second base for the final out that stood out most? Maybe it was all of the above for the visitors.

"I kind of spiked it a little bit. My adrenaline was flowing a little too much," Skoug said with a smile after a strike-him-out, throw-him-out double play ended the game, hiking Libertyville's record to 19-3 and 7-0 in the NSC Lake, while dropping Mundelein to 22-2, 5-2. Today, Libertyville hosts Mundelein and tries to reverse last year's series sweep by the Mustangs.

"This series has always been super heated for me," said Skoug, who's been catching on varsity since he was a freshman three years ago. "So every time we beat them it's just so nice."

An ecstatic Skoug flipped his mask in the air after the win, but Libertyville coach Jim Schurr's enthusiasm was more subdued.

"It's one game," Schurr said. "We got another one (today). If we split, (Tuesday's win) doesn't taste as good."

Both starting pitchers - Jeff Barton for Libertyville and Adam Turner for Mundelein - were good in going the distance, with neither senior issuing a walk. Barton allowed 6 hits and struck out three.

"He hit his spots really well," said Mundelein third baseman Luke Peterson, who was 2-for-3 with 2 doubles. "He wasn't really overpowering, but he was throwing where the ump was calling - low and outside."

Libertyville had a 16-game winning streak snapped against New Trier on Monday and was looking to make amends. The Wildcats got off to a good start against Mundelein immediately, as they grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Conor Simpson reached on an infield single with one out, Skoug hit a shot up the middle that caromed off Turner, and Mitch Townsend followed with a sacrifice fly.

After Skoug led off the fourth with a single into left-center and courtesy runner Riley Lees stole second, Hunter Van Wagner scorched a double to deep left-center. Lees scored easily to make it a 2-0 game.

"They make contact with everything," said Turner, who scattered 5 hits and struck out six. "I just tried to go out there and keep (the ball) low. They're fast (on the base paths), too."

Turner's nemesis Tuesday came to bat again with one out in the sixth. Skoug again went to left-center, hitting a deep drive that cleared the fence, despite a strong wind blowing in from left field. It was the Texas Christian recruit's fourth homer of the season.

"I play with him in the summer, and that's all he does," Turner said. "Anywhere you pitch it to him, he's going to hit it."

Skoug hit a fastball that Turner said was well off the plate.

"He just mashed it," Turner said. "What can you do?"

"I've played with him before, and I knew he was going to bring it right at me," Skoug said. "So I just put a good swing on it, and it went farther than I expected it to."

Mundelein had only 3 hits - a single by Ryan Hollander and doubles by Peterson and J.T. Michalski - after six innings. But Luke Adams started the bottom of the seventh with a single, and Peterson scalded a double down the left-field line, scoring Adams. Hollander then smacked a single into left, with Peterson holding at third.

"He missed some pitches," Schurr said of Barton. "They came out swinging. He'd hit spots all game long."

Libertyville left fielder Sean Ferraro made a running catch in shallow left-center for the first out. Barton then got a strikeout, as Skoug fired down to second to cut down a would-be base stealer for the unconventional, game-ending double play.

"I assumed they were an aggressive team, and I thought they were trying to steal a run off us," Skoug said of the Mustangs. "They try to claw back and get you where they can."

"The past couple of games we haven't started hitting until the late innings," Peterson said. "We got to act like every inning is the seventh inning. We obviously didn't do that today."

"Our goal is to win the North Suburban Conference," said coach Todd Parola, whose Mustangs are the two-time defending NSC champs. "That makes (today) a must-win game for us."

  Mundelein's Adam Turner pitches against Libertyville on Tuesday at Mundelein. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Libertyville's Riley Lees dives back to second safely as Mundelein Derek Parola makes the tag Tuesday at Mundelein. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Libertyville's Jimmy Govern connects with the ball Tuesday at Mundelein. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Mundelein's J.T. Michalski makes a catch in the outfield against visiting Libertyville on Tuesday. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Libertyville's Riley Lees slides back to first on Tuesday at Mundelein. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
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