Baseball: Vernon Hills tops Glenbrook South in 12
Matt Gramins hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 12th inning, Kyle Fasbinder starred at the plate and on the mound, and Vernon Hills' baseball team earned a 5-4 win over visiting Glenbrook South in Central Suburban League action Saturday.
The win moved the Cougars' record to 16-12-1 and 9-5 in the CSL.
In what Cougars coach Jay Czarnecki called a "playoff atmosphere," Fasbinder pitched 6 shutout innings in relief to earn the win, allowing just 3 hits and 2 walks, while striking out three. Starter Joe Rangel pitched the first 6 innings for Vernon Hills. Fasbinder also came through at the plate, going 4-for-6 with 2 doubles and an RBI.
Down 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh, the Cougars got a double from Brennan Reback (2-for-5, 2 walks). Gramins (2-for-3, double, 2 runs, 2 walks) bunted Reback to third, and Rangel (2-for-5) singled to tie the game.
Fasbinder led off the Vernon Hills 12th by belting a double to deep right-center field. Tony Brown (2-for-6, double) bunted courtesy runner Caleb Thomson to third, and Brown beat the throw to first for an infield hit. After an intentional walk to Reback loaded the bases, Gramins delivered a flyball to right field. Thomson tagged up and scored the winning run.
Mundelein 12, Fremd 1: Brendan Murphy's grand slam highlighted an 8-run fifth inning, as the visiting Mustangs won in nonconference action.
Murphy finished 4-for-4 and Ryan Patel was 3-for-3 with a double for Mundelein (25-5). Brett Parola finished 2-for-3, Steven Sanchez went 2-for-4 with a double, and Austin Greco earned the win.
Carmel sweeps Marian Catholic: The Corsairs won 4-2 and 7-3 to improve to 16-7 and 11-4 in the East Suburban Catholic Conference.
Jay Ward was the winning pitcher in Game 1, and Charley Dir picked up the save. Drew Wiegman had a double and an RBI, and Austin Ehren singled and scored twice.
Game-2 winner Joey Lake got offensive support from Ehren (2-for-4, double, 2 runs), Ben Wiegman (double) and Aidan Zawaski (double, 2 RBI).
Warren 4, Wheeling 2: Leadoff batter Tanner Dyer doubled and finished 4-for-4, Parker Reinhard homered, and the host Blue Devils prevailed in nonconference action for their 23rd win.
Nate Styles pitched 3 scoreless innings of 2-hit ball, striking out three and walking one for Warren (23-8). Evan Hill pitched the final 2 innings, giving up 1 unearned run to earn the win.
Wauconda 14, Glenbard South 4: The visiting Bulldogs pounded out 13 hits, including a home run by John Herbst, in earning the nonconference win.
Wauconda (12-12) got 2 hits apiece from Trevor Sefcik (double, 2 RBI), Alex Machon (3 RBI), Herbst (2 RBI), Spencer Bills (double) and Tyler Husko (2 RBI). Dan Sperling added a double.
Libertyville 8, Grayslake North 3: Brendan Bazar was 3-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBI for the host Wildcats in the nonconference game.
Jackson Petersen (double, 2 RBI) and Tim Jean (double, 3 RBI) were both 2-for-3 for the newly crowned North Suburban Conference champs. Dan Marks doubled for Libertyville (25-6), and winning pitcher Scott Hay pitched 4 innings (2 runs, 0 earned).
Grayslake North got 2-hit games from Sebastian Sancen and Austin DeLao (double, 2 RBI).
Zion-Benton 8, Lakes 6: Jack Christensen was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI for the Eagles in their nonconference loss.
Stephen Mogged and Quinn McQuade each had 2 hits for Lakes, and Michael Behrendt doubled and knocked in a run.
Buffalo Grove 6, Grant 1: Brendan Dreschler doubled and drove in the Bulldogs' only run of the game in their nonconference loss to the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A Glenbrook South sectional complex.
Grant fell to 15-12.