Baseball: Lake County roundup

Jack Shanahan turned in a dominant performance on the mound for Libertyville's baseball team Saturday morning.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound senior righty took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, before settling for a 1-hitter, as the host Wildcats won 4-1 in nonconference action.

The only hit Shanahan allowed was a solo home run to the Wildkits' Charlie Maxwell. Shanahan struck out seven and didn't walk a batter in his 7 innings.

Ryan Jackson led the way offensively for Libertyville, going 3-for-3 with an RBI double. Nick Rossetti also doubled for the Wildcats, and Chase Patterson added an RBI single.

Grayslake Central 6, McHenry 5: In a back-and-forth Fox Valley Conference battle in McHenry, the Rams scored in the top of the seventh on Jeff Terronez's RBI single to snap a 5-5 tie.

Grayslake Central improved to 8-6.

Devin Moran led off the top of the seventh with a double down the left-field line and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by leadoff man Jay Hoffman (2-for-3, 2 runs scored). Moran scored on a sharp single by Terronez (2-for-4).

McHenry got the leadoff man on in the bottom of the inning, but junior Ethan LaBeck retired the final two hitters to pick up the save.

The Rams jumped on University of Louisville-bound righty Bobby Miller for 3 runs in the first courtesy of a bases-loaded 2-run single from David Llorens (2-for-4) and an RBI single from LaBeck.

Hoffman plated 2 more runs with a single in the fourth, chasing Miller.

Grayslake Central starter Justin Guryn fanned five hitters over the first 4 innings, allowing 2 earned runs. Winning pitcher Sam Ruhlmann tossed 2 innings, allowing 1 earned run.

"I'm really proud of how we battled today," Rams coach Troy Whalen said. "To get 2 wins on the road this week in the FVC (Huntley and McHenry) will only continue to build confidence with our ballclub. Devin and Jeff really stepped up offensively in the last inning, and Ethan showed great composure and made clutch pitches in securing the save. It was a total team win."

Mundelein 4, Rolling Meadows 3: Luke Peterson was 2-for-4 with a double and triple to lead the visitors to the nonconference win.

Nick Brune went 2-for-4, and Carter Naughton was 2-for-3 for Mundelein (13-5). Patrick Betti earned the win.

Grant 5, Bradford 2: Sophomore Sam Fernandez improved to 4-0, allowing 2 earned runs over 4 innings.

Matt Spooner pitched 3 scoreless innings in relief, striking out four. Grant got a double from Matt Mason and a sacrifice fly from Ethan Unger.

Lakes 12, Richmond-Burton 1: Bryan Gross went 2-for-4 with a double and 3 RBI for the host Eagles, who scored 6 runs in the third and five more in the fifth.

Matt Nordlund was 2-for-2 with an RBI for Lakes (7-5-1). Ben Haviland (1-0) picked up his first win, allowing 1 earned run and 4 hits over 4 innings. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.

Stevenson 11, Hersey 1: Michael Kingery allowed 1 run and 3 hits over 5 innings, striking out four and walking one, as the visiting Patriots picked up the nonconference win.

Stevenson (10-4-1) got doubles from Robert McGaha, Patrick Loeffler, Dylan Molek and Willie Bourbon. McGaha drove in 3 runs, while Bourbon (2 runs) and Loeffler each had 2 hits.

Vernon Hills 5, Elmwood Park 2: Connor McNamara made his first varsity start on the mound and helped himself at the plate with a first-inning homer, as the Cougars captured the nonconference win.

McNamara allowed 2 hits and no runs over 3 innings. Andrew Smith earned his second win in relief, pitching the remaining 4 innings.

The lefty-hitting McNamara got the Cougars on the board with a towering drive over the right-field fence. Vernon Hills added two more in the fourth. Joey Marras was hit by a pitch, and courtesy runner Robbie Nardini moved to third on a single by Jack Duffley (2-for-3). Nardini scored on a double-steal. Nick Marras was walked and later scored on a single by Nick Conrad (2-for-3).

The Cougars added two more runs in the fifth. Matt Paszko started the rally with a single. With the bases loaded, Duffley delivered a 2-run single.

Lake Zurich 1, Palatine 0: Trevor Staley drove in the nonconference game's only run with a single in the bottom of the fourth.