LZ quickly completes victory over Warren
It didn’t take long Thursday for Lake Zurich and Warren to finish off their suspended game from Wednesday.
Dominic DeMicco singled home Jacob LaRue with one out in the bottom of the ninth, giving Lake Zurich a 6-5 win and completing a comeback for the Bears, who trailed the North Suburban Lake Division showdown 5-0 after an inning and a half.
The game was suspended Wednesday due to darkness following completion of the eighth inning with the score tied 5-5.
Lake Zurich reliever Jake Guilianelli retired the side in order in the top of the ninth (his second straight scoreless inning) with a little help from his defense. Third baseman LaRue made a diving stop on a shot down the line and fired to first baseman Tanner Kiser, who scooped the throw.
LaRue led off the bottom of the ninth by getting hit by a pitch. With one out, LaRue stole second base. Collin Roto was intentionally walked, bringing up DeMicco, who singled through the right side, scoring LaRue from second base.
“These kids just continue to battle game after game, regardless of the score,” Lake Zurich coach Gary Simon said after his Bears improved to 10-2 and 2-0 in the NSC Lake with their second straight come-from-behind win against the Blue Devils.
Warren fell to 3-6-1, 0-2.
Lakes 12, Belvidere North 5: The Eagles snapped a six-game losing streak, scoring 7 runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looking back.
Lakes (4-7) pounded out 11 hits and scored in every inning except the sixth. Junior Danny Jackson picked up his second win of the year, throwing 4 innings. Senior Jake Brown was 3-for-4 with a double, 2 runs scored, an RBI and 2 stolen bases. Junior Drake Larriuz drove in 3 runs.
Eric Kuhlman pitched 3 scoreless innings of 1-hit ball to earn the save. Chris Hoffman (1-for-1, 2 walks) added a triple and 2 stolen bases for Lakes, and Kyle Neeve was 2-for-3 with 2 stolen bases and an RBI.
Stevenson 2, Fremd 1: Illinois-bound Adam Walton had the game-winning hit in the top of the seventh for the Patriots in the nonconference game.
Both Walton and Will Bourbon finished 3-for-4 with a double for Stevenson (6-3). Winning pitcher Nick Costantini pitched 3 scoreless innings of 2-hit ball in relief of starter Eli Greenspon.
Carmel 10, Palatine 8: Blake Bucsa went 2-for-4 and scored twice for the host Corsairs in the nonconference game.
Duncan Amrein and John Salvi doubled for Carmel (7-3), which led 10-2 after three innings.
Grayslake North 10, Marengo 0: Mitch Kwiatkowski went 3-for-3 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored, and Adam Gomski earned the win in the nonconference game that last five innings.
Nick Carmody (2-for-3, 2 runs) and Carl Russell (2-for-2, 4 stolen bases 2 RBI, 2 runs) also sparked Grayslake North (4-5).
Deerfield 19, Wauconda 0: Ryan Gick’s double accounted for one of the Bulldogs’ 2 hits in their five-inning nonconference loss.
Wauconda fell to 6-2.
Cary-Grove 3, Grayslake Central 0: The Trojans cooled off the visiting Rams, who had scored 21 runs in their last two games.
Grayslake Central (6-4) stranded 9 base runners.
“In a close game, we needed someone to come up with the big hit, and it just didn’t happen,” Rams coach Troy Whalen said.
Mark Ash was the tough-luck loser, as the senior righty allowed 3 unearned runs while striking out six and scattering 5 hits. Cary-Grove scored once in the second and twice in the sixth.
“Mark pitched well enough to win,” Whalen said. “It was his best outing of the year. He competed on every pitch, and that’s what you like to see.”