Grayslake North swings into action
Alex Alvarez and Merrick Gentile led an 11-hit attack with 3 hits apiece, as Grayslake North's baseball team defeated Loyola Blakefield (Md.) 12-2 at The ESPN Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., Thursday.
Grayslake North (3-1) got 3 RBI apiece from Ryan Gross and Jason Petrillo. Alvarez, the Knights' leadoff hitter, doubled twice, scored three times and stole a base. Petrillo also had a double.
JP Zalewski worked 4 innings for the win, while Petrillo finished up with 3 scoreless frames in earning the save.
Mundelein 4, Lockport 1: At Rent One Park in downstate Marion, the Mustangs finished up their spring-break trip with another win.
Mike Metz pitched 4 shutout innings, allowing 1 hit, and Luke Peterson had an RBI triple, as Mundelein improved to 6-0. Wes Farmer worked out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the sixth to earn the save.
Vernon Hills 4, Carterville 3: The Cougars got another quality start from an unexpected source in central Illinois Thursday night.
Coach Jay Czarnecki said sophomore Sam Perlin was a late addition to the spring break roster just in case another arm was needed. This exact situation came up against Carterville.
Perlin had a rocky start, as the Cougars didn't play exceptional defense for him in the first, resulting in 3 runs for the Lions. But he showed great poise as he settled down and pitched 4 more innings, allowing only 1 hit. Perlin was lifted after 5 innings with the score tied 3-3. Tommy Earhart earned the win, pitching 1 scoreless inning, and Nick Newman closed the door in the seventh to get his first save of the year.
Vernon Hill scored first, as Pat Crowley (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 runs) singled and Tommy Earhart (1-for-3, run) walked. A double-steal put Cougars on second and third. John Goehrke then delivered a two-run single.
The Cougars pulled even in the fifth, as Joey Marras singled, pinch runner Elliot Fisher was sacrificed to second by Perlin, and Crowley delivered a triple.
The eventual game-winning run came in the top of the seventh. Marras drew a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Pinch runner Andrew Willey then moved to third on Nick Conrad's infield hit. Crowley's groundball to second scored Conrad to put the Cougars ahead for good.
Triad 4, Lakes 3: On Wednesday, the Eagles dropped their season opener in downstate Troy, despite a 2-run homer from Joe Sisk.
Things looked good early on for Lakes. Trailing 1-0 in the top of the third, the Eagles saw leadoff hitter Brad Borzick reach on an error. Sisk then promptly deposited a first-pitch fastball over the right field fence for a 2-run homer.
he lead was short-lived, however, as Triad answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the third. Triad took the lead for good in the fifth after a leadoff walk and single opened the door to a two-run inning. Lakes was able to scratch out a run in the sixth to pull within one run but could get no closer.
Joe Dahlke had a double for Lakes.