Baseball: Jean helps Libertyville jolt Warren
Tim Jean homered, doubled and knocked in 3 runs, and Libertyville's baseball team opened North Suburban Conference action by shutting out Warren 13-0 on Thursday.
Griffin Murphy and Luke Plunkett also helped pace the Wildcats' 17-hit attack, as each player went 3-for-5 with a double and 2 RBI. Libertyville also got 2 hits apiece from Tommy Rigali (RBI), Nick Angel (double), Micah Holzworth (double) and Tanner Kelly.
Winning pitcher Riley Gowens threw 6 innings, allowing 3 hits, striking out nine and walking two.
Stevenson 8, Lake Forest 2: Hayden Brotz was 3-for-4 with a double for the Patriots in their North Suburban opener.
Benjamin Chestler and Caleb Evans (triple, 2 RBI) were both 2-for-3 for Stevenson, and Ryan McElhinny had a double.
Matthew Mittelmark earned the win, allowing 2 runs in 4 innings, striking out six and walking one.
Carmel 6, Palatine 3: Sean Lynch Jr. homered and drove in 2 runs, Austin Ehren was 3-for-4 with a double, and the Corsairs won in nonconference action.
Robert Ramirez (double, RBI) and John Tabat (3 RBI) each had 2 hits for Carmel. Drew Wiegman earned the win, and Ethan Elazegui notched the save.
Grant 13, Round Lake 2: The Bulldogs won the Northern Lake County Conference opener to improve to 6-2, as Nolan Unger went 3-for-4 with a double, triple and 2 RBI.
Winning pitcher Nick Malmberg (3-0) struck out six and allowed 2 earned runs in 3 innings.
Mikal Ashley was 3-for-3 with a double and 3 RBI for Grant, and Jacob Splutt was 2-for-2 with a triple, walk and 2 RBI.
Vernon Hills 7, Wauconda 7: The nonconference game was suspended after six innings due to darkness.
Wauconda jumped out in front by taking advantage of 5 walks, 4 hit batsmen and 3 Cougar errors. The Bulldogs made the most of their 3 hits to score 7 runs over the first four innings.
Vernon Hills (6-3-1) had the bases loaded in the first and second but was unable to score. Finally, after two out in the bottom of the fifth, the Cougars offense erupted. Derek Jarrell singled to start the rally. Josh Boyer, Jake Morris and Jack Peterson (3 walks) then drew consecutive walks to plate the first Cougars run.
Josh Liu (3-for-3, 2 RBI) then singled home both Boyer and Morris. Tony Brown (3 walks) walked to load the bases again for Logan Coty, who singled to drive home both Peterson and Liu. Caleb Thomson singled home Brown, moving Coty to third. The next pitch went wild to score Coty, tie the game and move Thomson to third. Kyle Fasbinder (2 walks) then hit a hard groundball off the pitcher, who recovered to throw him out for the final out of the inning.
Wauconda threatened in the sixth by loading the bases off Thomson, who worked out of the jam.
The Cougars rallied in the seventh, drawing three straight walks after two were out, but Brown hit a full-count line drive to short to end the inning.
Wauconda got 2 RBI apiece from Brock Glavey (2-for-4) and Danny Sperling (double).