Baseball: Extra-special win for O'Brien, Grayslake Central
Kevin O'Brien lined a sharp single to right field in the bottom of the ninth inning, as Grayslake Central's baseball team snapped a 4-game losing streak in defeating Wauconda 8-7 in Northern Lake County Conference action on Wednesday.
Wauconda got 2 home runs from Spencer Bills in the losing effort.
Grayslake Central trailed 5-0 after 3 innings but rallied for a run in the fourth and then four in the fifth to tie the score. Both teams exchanged leads until the sophomore O'Brien's game-winning hit.
Grayslake Central pounded out a season-high 14 hits, as Ben Fitzgerald and Clay Stoffel each had 3 hits. Fitzgerald drove in 2 runs. Tony Neuman, who doubled leading off the ninth, added 2 hits and 2 RBI. Nic Presutti doubled, singled and scored 2 runs.
Sophomore Coby Moe tossed 3 scoreless innings in relief to pick up the win. Moe didn't allow a hit and fanned two.
Besides Bills, who had 4 RBI, Wauconda received 2 hits apiece from Jacob Bicknase (2 RBI) and John Herbst. Trevor Sefcik and Herbst doubled.
Carmel 6, Marian Central 0: Jay Ward earned the win, Lukas Galdoni homered, and the Corsairs picked up a win in East Suburban Catholic Conference action.
Drew Wiegman and Austin Ehren (2-for-4) doubled for the Corsairs (10-6, 5-3). Eddie Pietschmann was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Ward allowed 3 hits over 6 innings, striking out three and not walking a batter.
Warren 13, Waukegan 2: Tanner Dyer was 3-for-4, and Brent Tunelis pitched 4 shutout innings, allowing just 2 hits while striking out two, as the Blue Devils won the North Suburban game.
Robert Archbold and Evan Hill had doubles for Warren.
Glenbrook North 5, Vernon Hills 3: The Spartans scored 5 runs off starter Ryan Larsen in the second inning en route to the Central Suburban League win.
Matt Gramins had 2 hits for Vernon Hills (13-10-1, 6-3).
Stevenson 7, Lake Zurich 2: Michael Marchese went 3-for-4 with 2 stolen bases and 4 RBI, as the visiting Patriots completed a three-game sweep of the Bears in North Suburban action.
Henry Marchese was 2-for-4 for Stevenson (14-10, 8-7), and Evan Kiah had a double. Michael Thon, one of five pitchers used by the Patriots, threw 3 innings (1 run, unearned) and earned the win.
Lake Zurich's Austin Matuszewski was 2-for-2 with an RBI.
Lakes 2, Antioch 1: Quinn McQuade was 2-for-3, doubling twice and knocking in a run, as the host Eagles won the Northern Lake County contest.
Joe Glassey allowed 1 run (unearned) in 6 innings, striking out seven and walking three, to notch the win. Brandon Khan pitched a scoreless seventh with 1 strikeout to earn the save. Khan also had a double.
Connor Geidner doubled for Antioch.