Libertyville delivers Mundelein’s first loss
It was “close, but no cigar” for the Libertyville baseball team on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the Wildcats wound up being as excited as a proud papa in the hospital who passes around the stogies to celebrate the birth of a child.
Libertyville broke through, and managed to do what no other team has done all season.
The Wildcats took down undefeated Mundelein, knocking the Mustangs to 20-1 on the season by securing a 7-6 North Suburban Conference Lake Division road win in dramatic fashion.
Down 6-4 in the seventh inning, Libertyville loaded the bases with one out. Designated hitter Joey Eichmann then rocketed a double into left field that cleared the bases and put the Wildcats up on top for good.
The dramatic victory came about 24 hours after a heartbreaking loss in which Libertyville fell 6-4 to Mundelein in 10 innings, despite loading the bases in the bottom of the tenth.
“Mundelein should be 19 ½-1 ½ because we really should have gotten part of that win yesterday, too,” said Eichmann, whose big double brought in Nick Coutre, Anthony Mack and AJ Schurr. “We had multiple times yesterday where we couldn’t get the big hit. But we got those big hits today and it feels great.
“It feels great to beat them. You definitely get a higher intensity in a game like this. Everyone is into it and it’s fun to play.”
Mundelein has been having fun all season, rolling up win after win.
The long faces all around the dugout in the wake of the loss told poignantly of the unfamiliar and unwelcome feeling the Mustangs were forced to confront.
“This is very tough,” said Mundelein relief pitcher Luis Carrasco, who replaced starter Dante Martinez in the sixth inning and took the loss. “This is one of the worst feelings you could have right now. First loss. It’s bad.
“But hopefully, we can still keep our heads up and do a better job next game.”
The Mustangs will be hurting as they digest their first loss in 21 games. But they need look no further than Libertyville to know that a quick rebound is possible.
“We’ll get right back and use this as motivation,” said Mundelein first baseman Ryan Borucki, whose three-run home run into deep centerfield tied the game a 4-4 in the fourth inning. He finished 3-for-3 on the day. “All we have to do is play good at the end.”
That’s what the Wildcats, who improve to 12-8 on the season, did.
The middle of the game didn’t go quite as well for Libertyville, which feared in the sixth inning that another close loss to Mundelein was in the works.
The Mustangs scored 2 runs in the bottom of the sixth to break up a 4-4 tie and go up 6-4. Third baseman Nik Gastfield opened the inning for Mundelein by doubling to right field. He then scored on a fielding error by Libertyville. Then D.J. Lewis drove in another run for the Mustangs on a sacrifice fly.
But then the Wildcats got to Carrasco in the seventh and then finished the job by getting three straight outs in the bottom of the seventh. Two of those outs came on a clutch double play.
“It’s ironic that a double-play helped us win the game, because we hit into a double play with the bases loaded in the tenth yesterday,” Libertyville coach Jim Schurr said. “I’m just so proud of the kids for coming back after yesterday and for coming back after being down today. We could have gone in the tank down two runs through six. This was a big win for us and now we’ve got to build on it.”
The Mustangs will try to do the opposite. Tear down the disappointment.
“This group has been scrappy all year,” Mundelein coach Todd Parola said. “Sure, we wanted to win. This is a tough loss. But I don’t think one loss is going to change things. I mean, this is baseball. The best teams in the major leagues lose 60 games in a season.”