Baseball: Lake County roundup

A day after combining for five runs, the Grant and Lakes baseball teams scored a collective 33 runs before the North Suburban Prairie Division battle was called due to darkness with two out in the bottom of the sixth.

Host Lakes won the game 20-13, avenging Wednesday's one-run loss.

Lakes (16-6-1, 7-1) received big games offensively from Matt Nordlund (5-for-5, 5 RBI), Brett Buchholz (3-for-5, double, 4 RBI), Matt Putman (3-for-5, 2 doubles, 4 runs), Justin Blasinski (3-for-4, 4 runs, walk) and Bryan Gross (4-for-4, double, 3 RBI).

Jeremy Mackey (4-1) allowed 3 earned runs in 3 innings to get the win.

Grant (20-7, 7-1) got a 3-for-5 effort from James Pendley. Eddie Kusiak, Nick Heidenthal and Michael Bengston each had 2 hits. Heidenthal and Bengston both doubled. Pendley, Heidenthal and Ben Kusiak each drove in a pair of runs.

Wauconda 13, Zion-Benton 4: Kevin Malisheski homered and doubled for the Bulldogs in the North Suburban crossover.

Kyle Harmon had a triple for Wauconda (10-12), which also got doubles from Brian McFarlin, Pierson Gibis, Joey Schaer and Jacob Bicknase.

Prairie Ridge 8, Grayslake North 2: Merrick Gentile (RBI) and Danny Yates (double) were both 2-for-4 for the Knights, who surrendered 6 runs in the top of the eighth inning of the Fox Valley Fox game.

Crystal Lake Central 3, Stevenson 1: Christian Dutler was 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Patriots, who fell to 18-8-1 with the nonconference loss.

Lake Forest 9, Vernon Hills 4: The Scouts jumped on starter Eric Weiler and put a 3 spot on the board in the first inning.

Vernon Hills relievers Andrew Smith and Matt Paszko silenced the Scout bats until the sixth inning. Lake Forest then added 5 more runs off another reliever.

The Cougars didn't go quietly, as they rallied in the bottom of the inning. Drew Winegardner (1-for-3) started things out by singling to right. Robby Nardini (2-for-4) then doubled to drive in Winegardner. Nick Conrad (1-for-4) followed with a single to drive in Nardini. After two strikeouts, Joey Marras (1-for-4) singled. Brennan Reback (2-for-3, RBI) then singled home Conrad. The threat ended when Connor McNamara flew out to end the inning.

Lake Zurich 1, Warren 0: On Wednesday, Sam Zoibi pitched a 2-hit shutout, and Austin Wells drove in the North Suburban Lake game's only run with a single in the bottom of the seventh.

Zoibi struck out two and walked one.

Jacob Kubin, Tyler Peterson, Lucas Ehrhardt and Wells were all 1-for-3 for Lake Zurich.

Matt Burch and Jake Falish had the only hits for Warren (18-9, 6-4).