DeBernardis goes deep again for LZ
Joe DeBernardis continues to show he's no Ordinary Joe.
The Penn State-bound slugger belted a grand slam Wednesday to help lead Lake Zurich's baseball team to a 19-1 win over visiting North Chicago in a North Suburban Conference crossover.
It was DeBernardis' 11th home run of the season.
Chas Evans went 2-for-3 with 2 doubles for Lake Zurich (21-5). DeBernardis was 2-for-2 and Logan Matthews went 2-for-3 with a double and 3 runs scored. Tyler Schmitz also had a double.
Austin Cox (2-0) earned the win.
Lake Zurich enters today's NSC Lake Division finale at Stevenson tied with Mundelein for first place. Mundelein visits Warren.
Antioch 10, Niles North 2: The host Sequoits got 2-for-3 efforts from Jim Fracek (2 doubles), Ken Karagiorgas and Alec Paramski in the nonconference game.
Andy Kloster pitched 5 innings, striking out five, in earning his first win.
Antioch (13-9) brings a 10-1 North Suburban Prairie Division record into today's game at home against Lakes.
Vernon Hills also has 1 loss in the division and hosts Grant today.
Libertyville 5, Evanston 3: The host Wildcats earned a quality nonconference win.
Libertyville (17-9) trailed 3-0 after the first inning but scored a run in the third and three in the fourth.
Lucas Guarnaccio and Mason Reiff started the Wildcats' fourth-inning rally with singles. They moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Chase Guarnaccio's single, tying the score at 3-3.
After a base hit by Joey Aiello, Tom Jacobson hit an RBI single.
Jacobson drove in an insurance run in the sixth, which Jon Lewis started with a pinch-hit single.
Aiello finished 3-for-3, while Chase Guarnaccio went 2-for-3.
Troy Barton struck out nine in earning the win.
Grayslake C. 2, Huntley 1: Kevin O'Rourke fired a complete-game 5-hitter with 8 strikeouts, as the Rams snapped a four-game losing streak.
Jordaan Williams led off the bottom of the sixth for Grayslake Central (14-9) with a double. One out later, Matt Schmidt tied the score with an RBI single.
After another out, Angelo Gargano doubled home Schmidt with the go-ahead run.
"Kevin gave us a big-game effort," Rams coach Troy Whalen said. "We needed a shot in the arm and he gave it to us. His last two performances have been very good. He needs to keep it going.
"Offensively, Angelo had a great at-bat, but it doesn't get to him without the quality ABs from Jordaan and Matt."
Softball
Vernon Hills 8, Stevenson 3: Alyssa Dougherty went 3-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBI, as the Cougars stretched their winning streak to 18 games in the North Suburban Conference crossover.
Anastasia Guletsky doubled twice for Vernon Hills (24-3) and Marci Pasquesi also had 2 hits.
Jackie Allen scattered 9 hits in improving to 15-1.
Antioch 10, Marengo 0: Ashley Mysliwiec was the winning pitcher and had 2 hits in the nonconference game.
Antioch (17-9) got key singles from Lindsay Callanan, Candice Schmidt, Samantha Seamon and Jen Precht.
The Sequoits host Lakes today.
Huntley 6, Grayslake N. 3: The Red Raiders scored 3 runs in the top of the 10th inning of the Fox Valley Fox Division game.
Jamie Breitweiser had a double and 2 RBI for the Knights, and Sam Fletcher was 2-for-5 with a double.
Grayslake North fell to 8-15, 4-7.
Johnsburg 7, Grayslake C. 2: Kelly Silver doubled twice in the Rams' Fox Valley Fox Division loss.
Boys volleyball
Vernon Hills d. Libertyville: Ernie Choi slammed 10 kills and added 3 blocks, and Keegan Harris had 8 kills and 3 blocks, as the Cougars prevailed 23-25, 25-19, 25-19 in North Suburban Conference action.
Herman Lynn added 7 kills and 4 blocks, Alex Tartakovksy chipped in 6 blocks., and Dave Siegel recorded 5 kills. Vernon Hills (17-11, 8-0) also got 28 assists from Sam Lee and 18 digs from Jeff Achler.
Quintin Anderson provided a spark, as well, with 9 digs.
"It's a great relief to finally play a match where the offense wasn't in sync, and where the opposition is playing great defense, but be able to push through with blocking and our own defense," Cougars coach Chris Curry said. "Quintin Anderson played excellent defense in the third game, and Alex Tartakovsky had 3 huge block kills down the stretch."
Libertyville (13-14, 4-4) got 10 kills from Tom Hannum and 8 from Chris Risley.