Bourbon's homers power Stevenson past Libertyville

Willie Bourbon's favorite 2-homer game came on his dad's birthday, way back in the Buffalo Grove Recreation Association days.

And true, there was also that 2-homer game against Grant, when he was a sophomore.

Now, the Stevenson senior might have something to compare with those special days.

It was the bottom of the third inning of Thursday's Class 4A baseball regional semifinal against rival Libertyville at Palatine. Both starting pitchers, Tyler Pauly of Stevenson and Ben Kimpler of Libertyville, had carried no-hitters into the frame. And then Bourbon cracked a two-out, 3-run homer.

Stevenson's lead didn't make it to the fifth inning. The Wildcats had taken a 4-3 lead by the time Bourbon batted again, and Carter Baretz's two-out single gave Bourbon another chance with a runner on.

He connected for his second homer of the day, and it proved to be the game-winner. Libertyville had one last gasp before falling 5-4.

Stevenson (24-11-1) will play again come Saturday morning for a chance at a regional crown. The foe will be Glenbrook North, at 10 a.m.

Bourbon was clearly surprised to see the Cats pitch to him in a then-scoreless game back in the third inning.

"I really thought they would walk me,'' Bourbon said. "But they let me hit. I just wanted to get a fastball. That first one, I knew it was gone."

Pauly still had his no-hitter intact heading to the fourth inning. It vanished on the first hitter. Jimmy Govern hit a rocket toward left field - but there was that Bourbon fellow again. He made a dazzling stop on the ball, but Govern's speed was good enough for the team's first hit. A double steal and Mitch Townsend's infield ground out brought home Libertyville's first run.

Libertyville's fourth inning was bizarre. Ninth-place hitter Chase Patterson and leadoff man Riley Lees singled off Pauly. And then it was a series of hit batters, wild pitches and intentional walks somehow produced 3 runs.

"We had a couple of legitimate hits,'' said Libertyville coach Jim Schurr. "From then on, it got sloppy."

And then Bourbon decided this contest with another swing of his mighty bat.

Stevenson coach Paul Mazzuca rightly pointed out the Baretz at-bat that kept the fifth inning going and allowed Bourbon another swing.

"I'm really proud of Willie,'' Mazzuca said. "But Carter's at-bat to get Willie up was the best at-bat of the game."

Yes, Schurr would like to have that pitch back that Bourbon deposited over the fence for the game-winner.

"Maybe we should have put him on base,'' Schurr said. "But the kid behind him (Robert McGaha) was their hottest hitter coming in."

Bourbon wasn't thinking about hitting another homer.

"I was thinking gap to gap,'' Bourbon said.

Winning pitcher Justin Stark did not sail through the Cats' lineup. The reliever surrendered another hit to ninth-place hitter Patterson before getting out of trouble in the sixth. In the seventh, he was one out away from putting this game away before pinch hitter Tim Calamari pounded a ball right back at Stark.

"I saw it right off the bat,'' said Stark, "and it hit me right on the leg."

Stark limped after the ball but Calamari was on base.

Stark issued a free pass, putting the tying run on second base, before a groundout ended the contest.

"I knew I needed to keep my composure and finish off the inning," Stark said.

"When Libertyville and Stevenson play it's always a close game,'' Mazzuca said. "We split with them this year. And it's always a 1-run game either way."

Schurr found it difficult saying so long to this Wildcats team.

"This group of kids have worked as hard as any team I've coached,'' Schurr said. "Even after practices, they still wanted to take groundballs. I would drive by on Sundays and see them in the batting cages."

The Cats finished 20-15.