Baseball: Grayslake Central continues its grip on NLCC, downs Grant

The difference between wining and losing is such a fine line. And for Grayslake Central, the Rams look to be on the plus side of that line.

Grayslake Central played a near-perfect game Thursday in its 8-3 win over Grant in Fox Lake.

The Rams were able to execute with clutch hitting with 9 hits. Grayslake Central played solid defense, with no errors while throwing out three Grant players, two at home plate.

They also got down key bunts down, including a suicide squeeze. The Rams added great base running and key pitching performances from starter Luke Eckenstahler and relief from Logan Marshall.

“Playing on the road is tough,” Grayslake Central coach Troy Whalen said. “You’re three runs down before you step off the bus. We had some clutch hits and we are a good fielding team. It’s just the little things. And trying to get the kids to understand the little things add up to big things.”

Grayslake Central won Tuesday’s meeting between the teams 9-4. The Rams go for the sweep Friday at Grayslake Central.

Thursday’s win moved Grayslake Central (19-3, 10-1) a half-game ahead of Lakes for the Northern Lake County Conference lead. Those teams meet three times during the week of May 18.

“This group has been very resilient,” Whalen said. “They have aged me beyond my years and I am not getting any younger. But they are feisty dudes.”

Grayslake Central got off to fast start.

Jayson Domerchie led off the game with a single and then stole second. He came racing home on Carson Woods’ sharp single to left. Woods would later score on the back end of a double steal to put the Rams up 2-0.

“I have just been focusing on seeing the ball deep and taking it the other way,” said Woods, who had two hits. “It’s hard to win in a place like this. But I think we played well and these games are important ahead of seeding time.”

Grant (6-16, 4-7), which has struggled at times this season, got things rolling with two outs in the bottom of the first. Jayden Figueroa walked and after a single by Logan Sledzik it cut the deficit to 2-1.

Grayslake Central added runs in the second and fifth innings to build a 4-1 lead.

In the second, Jonathon Malloy singled and stole second. He would then score on Bryce Carlson’s two-out single.

In the fifth, pinch hitter Rhett Welch had a leadoff walk. Carlson moved him to second on a sacrifice bunt and Welch would score on pinch hitter Kyle DeLeon’s single.

Grant scratched back a run in the fifth. Hamm, who singled to lead off the inning, hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.

Grayslake Central exploded for four runs in the sixth to put the game away. The Rams parlayed a walk to Logan Marshall, a double by Malloy, RBI singles by pinch hitter TJ Rodriguez and Carlson, a suicide squeeze by Domerchie and two Grant errors for its runs.

“I felt really good today,” said Carlson, who along with his two hits and sacrifice bunt threw a runner out at third from the outfield. “I started the season a little cold and I couldn’t find my groove at the plate. But I have been blessed to pick it up a little bit.”

Grant added its final run when Dylan Dunlavy scored on a double steal in the sixth.

“We are struggling to put a complete game together,” Grant coach Bryan Talbots said. “You give a team like Grayslake Central chances and they will take advantage of them. We are just struggling with the 50/50 plays and just not getting them to go out way. But we are going to stay at it.”