Grayslake C. sparkles in win over Lake Villa

Grayslake Central's baseball team received good pitching and timely hitting from two of their most consistent players again Thursday.

The Rams used Aaron Snyder's arm and Angelo Gargano's bat to edge Vernon Hills 2-0 in the teams' Class 3A Lakes sectional semifinal in Lake Villa.

Snyder (10-2) pitched a 2-hit shutout, while Gargano smacked his sixth home run of the season.

Grayslake Central (24-14) next plays Johnsburg (10-26) in the sectional final at 11 a.m. Saturday back at Lakes.

"We play tough baseball and our conference (Fox Valley Fox Division) was so good," said Grayslake Central coach Troy Whalen, whose team has won 9 of its last 11 games. "These kids are fun to be around and they're having the time of their lives. We're playing our best baseball all year."

Snyder had a lot working for him on the mound. He retired the first 11 batters he faced before the Cougars' P.J. Marsek legged out an infield single in the fourth inning. Nick Mazza had the Cougars' other hit - another infield single, in the sixth.

"My curveball was working for me and my fastball was very effective," said Snyder, who struck out eight and didn't walk a batter. "I felt comfortable out there because my defense was playing pretty good behind me. I wasn't too worried."

Grayslake Central threatened in every inning, capitalizing twice.

The Rams scored in the top of the second inning, when Kevin DeRue hit a double into the gap, knocking in Kevin O'Rourke.

"It was a fastball," DeRue said. "I just tried to hit it hard somewhere."

Gargano smacked a solo shot over the right-field fence in the fifth. It was the 49th RBI for the junior slugger, who also doubled and singled.

"It was 2-0 - a hitter's count - and I got a pretty good pitch to hit," Gargano said. "I just got a good swing on it."

Vernon Hills (21-15) wasted a scoring opportunity in the fourth, when the Cougars had a runner caught between second and third. An inning later, Zack Kisley reached on a dropped-third strike, advanced to second on a groundout and took third on a Snyder balk. But Snyder got out of the inning with a strikeout.

In the sixth, after two outs, Mazza singled, but Snyder again ended the inning with a strikeout.

"We knew coming in it would be a close game," Vernon Hills coach Jay Czarnecki said. "We had to put the ball into play a little more than we did against Snyder to be effective. We tip our hats to him. He had a great game and made pitches when he had to."