Baseball: Libertyville embraces unorthodox victory
Yes, there were some oddities in Wednesday's North Suburban Conference baseball clash between Mundelein and host Libertyville. There was exactly 1 strikeout between the two clubs. The first two-bats for Libertyville's Riley Gowens resulted in two outs, yet he received 2 RBI for his flyballs. The losing club, Mundelein, had a least one base runner in every inning but the second.
Maybe winning pitcher Ryan Cote can explain it. He finished two outs short of a complete game, as Libertyville pulled out a 4-2 win to move into sole possession of first place.
"I was feeling really good today," the Libertyville right-hander said after the Wildcats improved to 12-2 in the NSC. "I threw strikes and I made Mundelein put the ball in play. We had good defense. And that 3-spot in the first was a nice cushion."
Mundelein (11-3 NSC) was the team that started the season on a long win streak. All of a sudden, the Mustangs have a short losing streak after falling to Libertyville for the second day in a row.
"We haven't improved," Mundelein coach Todd Parola said. "We haven't deserved it in both these losses to Libertyville. We didn't seem to ready to go today."
Cote's no-hitter disappeared to Drew Breitenreiter leading off the Mundelein first. He would score on an infield error and the visitors were up a run.
The home half of the first pretty much decided this contest. The first of Nick Angel's game-leading 3 singles began the rally, driving in the tying run. Jackson Petersen drove in the next run with a bad-hop single past first base. The first of Gowen's sacrifice flies to center made it 3-1 Wildcats.
"That was big to add on in the first," Libertyville coach Matt Thompson said. "We got to play our game. Now we have a chance to sweep them."
Libertyville and Mundelein complete the three-game series on Thursday.
After the excitement of the opening frame, both pitchers, including Will Michalski for Mundelein, had 1-2-3 second innings.
Libertyville centerfielder Dan Marks started the third-inning rally with a single to right. Angel had another hit. The sacks were loaded for Gowens and there went another long fly to center that brought in the fourth run of the game for the Wildcats.
Again the Mustangs put runners on in the late innings against Cote. In the last four innings, Mundelein's first batter of the frame reached base. There were a few unconventional double plays.
Finally in the seventh, the Mustangs loaded the bases with just one hit, a leadoff single by Brett Parola. Mason Schaller lifted a sacrifice fly, but that was all Mundelein got.
"We never got the big hit," Todd Parola said. "Where were our bats? Where was our defense?"
Thompson made his call to the bullpen after Mundelein scored in the seventh. Reliever Billy Krumm got the save when he retired two hitters on popups.
"We are starting to hit the ball better," Cote said. "It's really nice. Now, we have a chance at the three-game sweep."