Lutz keeps cool, lifts LZ

No way was Mike Lutz calling a teammate a klutz or going Carlos Zambrano on any of them in the dugout after they booted groundballs.

Lutz has been there, done that.

His composure on the mound proved clutch, as he pitched around 5 errors in leading Lake Zurich to a 7-2 win over Lakes at Libertyville in regional semifinal action of the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association's Phil Lawler Summer Classic on Wednesday.

The win earned Lake Zurich a berth in today's 4:30 p.m. regional final against Stevenson, which rallied in the seventh inning for the second straight day in edging Cary-Grove 5-4 in the day's first semifinal.

Lutz, an incoming junior who pitched on varsity in the spring, threw 6 innings of 3-hit ball, striking out six and walking only one.

Lakes scored solo runs in the first and third innings, but neither was earned.

"It's not that frustrating because everyone makes mistakes," Lutz, a third baseman when not pitching, said of his team's errors. "I've done it before too. I know how I feel when I do it. It obviously doesn't feel good for the person making the error."

Lake Zurich coach Gary Simon was proud of his 6-foot-1 right-hander, who picked up the save in the Bears' quarterfinal win over Grayslake Central on Tuesday.

"Lutz was outstanding," said Simon, whose Bears stretched their winning streak to six. "Mike is a quality pitcher. He's just a hair away from being Division I. He brings it. He just needs a little bit more experience."

Lakes had even more troubles defensively than Lake Zurich, as the Eagles committed 6 errors.

Lakes starting pitcher Jake Brown was the victim. The incoming junior, who also played varsity in the spring, was charged with 6 runs in 42/3 innings, but none of them were earned.

Lake Zurich knocked out Brown in the fifth, snapping a 2-2 tie by scoring 5 runs. The Bears scored the go-ahead run on a safety squeeze put down by Zach Till.

"We hadn't done that all year," Simon said.

Sean Eder (2-for-3) delivered the big blow for Lake Zurich with a 2-run triple. Mike Irgang (2-for-3) followed with an RBI single.

While Lake Zurich's infield defense struggled, Simon liked what he saw from outfielders Mitch Tuthill (left), Eder (center) and Danny Minogue (right). They combined for 8 putouts.

"Our outfield is solid," Simon said. "Those guys just go get it."

Chris Hoffman had 3 of Lakes' 4 hits, including an RBI double. Kyle Noon drove in the Eagles' first run with a first-inning groundout.

The Eagles are looking for a new head coach after Bill Rosencrans' teaching position in the special education department at Lakes was eliminated.

In his two seasons at Lakes, Rosencrans led the Eagles to 45 wins and back-to-back championships in the North Suburban Prairie Division.

"I thought he was doing a great job for us," said coach Ray Gialo, who's been an assistant coach at Lakes since the school opened. "He's a good guy and cared a lot about the kids and the program. I certainly enjoyed working with him."

Gialo ran the team this summer along with fellow coaches Josh Coon, Kyle McLaren and Jason Miller.

"Overall, it was good," Gialo said of the summer season. "I'm pretty proud of these guys (the players).

"It's a tough deal. They don't have a head coach. As a staff, we kind of split up the days. So one day they're playing for me and the next day they might be playing for our freshman coach or sophomore coach. They showed up every day and they worked real hard."

Stevenson 5, Cary-Grove 4: One thing the Patriots are proving is not to count them out.

For the second straight day at Libertyville, Stevenson won a game in its last at-bat.

"We've been having a lot of walk-off wins," said incoming senior Ricky Kern, Wednesday's hero. "Our pitching has been keeping us in games. And when it comes down to it, our hitting will get the job done."

Stevenson, which beat Crystal Lake South 5-4 Tuesday on Barry Saks' walk-off walk, entered the bottom of the seventh against Cary-Grove trailing 4-1.

But Kern delivered a bases-loaded triple to tie the game.

"It was a 3-2 count and I was looking for something to drive," Kern said. "I knew he was going to give me something. I just took the ball to (left-center field). That's where I've been taking my power hits lately."

Kern then scored the winning run on a groundball, beating the throw home.