Glenbrook North short-circuits Lake Zurich

During introductions Friday at Lake Zurich, the electricity went out.

Fate, it seemed, as the Bears couldn't generate their own spark to contain Glenbrook North.

The Spartans won the Class 4A regional semifinal 11-5 to advance to today's 4:30 p.m. championship game against Warren back at Lake Zurich.

"I was really happy with the way our kids played offensively," said Glenbrook North coach Barry Ruppert. "I thought we had some good at-bats with runners on base. We executed well.

The Spartans (19-11) cracked out 11 hits, highlighted by Scott Sutton's sixth-inning grand slam to right field, his fifth home run and second granny of the season, on a 1-0 pitch.

The Butler-bound Sutton also scored twice earlier in the game and was exceptional defensively at second base.

"I thought the play of the game probably was in the first inning, when they had runners on (base), and (Sutton) made a diving play on the hit-and-run," Ruppert said. "That would have made it first-and-third with no one out."

Instead, the Bears (19-17) scored only one in their half of the first - and the Spartans answered with 4 runs in the bottom of the first, including a double to left field by Cooper Rushing that drove home two. The Bears also had 2 costly errors in the first inning, both leading to Spartan runs.

"It was really frustrating, especially the first inning," said Lake Zurich starting pitcher Dan Johnsen (5-2), a senior. "I thought I pitched OK. I just didn't bring it today."

Johnsen did, though, deliver with his bat in the third, drilling a triple to left-center field, past the Spartans' diving center fielder, Adam Robinson. Johnsen's triple drove home Hunter Hughes, who had been hit by a pitch, and cut the score to 4-3. But the Bears got no closer.

"I've been hitting lefties pretty good this year," Johnsen said.

Sean Thomas (5-3), who fired a no-hitter last week against Gordon Tech, threw 120 pitches before being replaced by Tony Volk for the final out in the

seventh.

"I thought Sean did a nice job," Ruppert said. "We wanted to get him a complete game (victory), but he just ran out of gas."

The Spartans iced the win in the sixth, scoring 5 runs on 3 hits, and with help from 2 more Bears' errors and a wild pitch.

"Errors have been our Achilles tendon. We keep getting in trouble with errors and walks," said Lake Zurich coach Gary Simon. "I think the kids were tight. Everyone was tight. We weren't consistent.

"Still, it was a good season. This was a fun group to coach. Everyone was unselfish. There were no prima donnas on this team."

So, Coach Ruppert, any idea how to control the offensive machine that is Warren?

"Ugh, maybe put blindfolds on them," he said, laughing. "It will be a very tough game."